NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Security: McAlester Resident Sentenced to 11 Years for Maiming in Indian Country

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced Cody Ray McFadden, age 36, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 132 months in prison for one count of Maiming in Indian Country.

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

    On December 16, 2024, McFadden pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on July 16, 2022, McFadden invited a visitor to his residence. Once inside, McFadden beat the victim, forced the victim into a cage, and padlocked the door.  During the next 36 hours, McFadden proceeded to assault and torture the victim, threatening to kill the victim with a cross bow and intentionally striking at the victim with an axe.  The victim, who sustained a head laceration, burns, bruises, and a broken arm, managed to break free, escape through a window, and run to a neighbor’s home.  Law enforcement responding to the neighbor’s emergency call took McFadden into custody after a brief standoff.  The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    “This defendant demonstrated a complete lack of humanity, subjecting the victim to an extended period of violence resulting in unimaginable physical and mental trauma,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater.  “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out violent offenders through aggressive investigations and prosecutions.”

    “This is the stuff of nightmares, but unfortunately, it was sickeningly real,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “I commend the bravery of this survivor, the quick work of law enforcement in securing an end to this horrifying ordeal, and the steadfastness of investigators and prosecutors who ensured that McFadden spends the next decade in prison answering for his ruthless crimes.”

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  McFadden will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Okmulgee Resident Sentenced to Over 20 Years for Voluntary Manslaughter

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brett Wayne Pigeon, age 45, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 126 months in prison for one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, and 120 months in prison for one count of Using, Carrying, Brandishing and Discharging a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence.  The terms will be served consecutively.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okmulgee Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department.

    On January 6, 2025, Pigeon pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on November 27, 2023, law enforcement responding to reports of shots fired discovered the victim deceased from apparent gunshots to the back, head, and hip.  Pigeon was identified as a suspect, and later admitted shooting the victim with a 12-gauge shotgun.    The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

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

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Pigeon will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan and Rachel Geizura represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Crime

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jimmy Darrell Porter Jr., age 40, of Westville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.00.

    The Indictment alleged that on August 4, 2024, Porter knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Westville Police Department.

    The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

    A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Porter will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Police Commissioner and Former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget Charged in Bribery Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    An indictment was unsealed today charging Ray Martinez, the former police commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, the former director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget, with participating in a bribery and money laundering conspiracy. Both defendants made their initial court appearances today in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

    According to court documents, Martinez, 56, and O’Neal, 53, both of St. Thomas, accepted bribes from a then-government contractor, David Whitaker. The indictment alleges that the scheme began in at least November 2022 and continued until June 2024, with O’Neal joining the scheme no later than January 2024. The defendants also allegedly conspired to launder proceeds from the bribery scheme through a monetary transaction to pay rent on O’Neal’s coffee shop. In exchange for the bribes paid by the government contractor, Martinez and O’Neal, among other official acts, allegedly agreed to approve fraudulently inflated invoices and assist with obtaining payment for those invoices by the Virgin Islands to Whitaker. Martinez also agreed to assist Whitaker in obtaining a $1.48 million contract to provide services to the VIPD in October 2023. Additionally, after the investigation was originally made public, Martinez allegedly obstructed the investigation by encouraging Whitaker to destroy evidence associated with Martinez’s criminal activity and produced falsified documents in response to a subpoena.

    Martinez and O’Neal are each charged with five counts of honest services wire fraud, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; one count of federal program bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and one count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Martinez is also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the District of the Virgin Islands; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

    The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Steve Loew of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley for the District of the Virgin Islands are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in Kidnapping

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Queens, New York man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a Paterson, New Jersey, kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Reginald Law, 39, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with kidnapping and Hobbs Act robbery. 

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

    On October 8, 2020, Law and his conspirator, Maurice Cottman, entered a retail store in Paterson, where they accosted the victim, who was working in the store. Law and Cottman physically removed the victim from the store, then transported him in the back of a U-Haul truck from Paterson to New York.  Law admitted that during the kidnapping, he and Cottman called the victim’s family and demanded ransom for his return.  Law and Cottman also forced the victim to give them his debit card and pin number, which they used to withdraw money from his bank accounts.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin sentenced Law to five years of supervised release.

    Cottman previously pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an Information charging him with one count of kidnapping. On March 29, 2022, Judge Chesler sentenced Cottman to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.  He also thanked the FBI New York Field Office and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel: Christopher L. Patella Esq., Bayonne, New Jersey

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Disbarred Attorney Sentenced to 30 Months for Defrauding Victims in Ponzi-Like Wire Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, disbarred attorney was sentenced to 30 months in prison for a wire fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Lawrence Coven, 61, of Hillsborough, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an Information charging him with one count of wire fraud. Judge Kirsch imposed the sentence.

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

    Coven operated and controlled Sunrise Enterprises LLC, which purported to provide financial services to investors. In reality, Coven induced victim investors into sending him funds by falsely representing that he would invest their money through Sunrise in exchange for large profits by providing short-term loans to borrowers who could not obtain standard loans. He falsely guaranteed investors returns of between 10 to 15 percent on their investments and told investors that their investments were risk-free. But instead of investing the money as he promised, Coven diverted investor funds for personal expenses, including utilities, entertainment, real estate, credit card bills, and cash withdrawals. And when investors began asking questions, Coven provided them with false assurances that their money was safe and used money from existing investors to make payments to other investors in a Ponzi-like fashion.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Coven to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to this sentence.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano and Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Jeffrey Chiesa, Esq. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

    Almost 700 rescues had been carried out in New South Wales by Friday morning as
    record-breaking rainfall pounds the state. Tragically, four people have died in floodwaters.

    Amid the chaos, videos posted on social media show people deliberately entering or standing above swollen rivers and flooded roads. It is a pattern of dangerous behaviour that occurs frequently during natural disasters in Australia.

    Filming unsafe acts for social media is not just risky for participants. It may inspire copycat behaviour, and, if things go wrong, can endanger the lives of rescuers. It’s a public health problem which requires new remedies.

    Selfies in floods: a risky business

    During a flood, water can be deceiving. Just 15cm of water can knock an adult off their feet or cause a car to lose traction and float. Submerged debris and contaminated water add to the dangers.

    Emergency services routinely warn the public not to enter floodwaters – on foot or in vehicles. But many people ignore the warnings, including those out to create social media content.

    In a startling example posted on Tiktok during the current floods, a young man stands on a mossy log which has fallen over a flooded river. The video, accompanied by dramatic music, shows swirling floodwaters surging beneath him. One wrong step, and the man could easily have drowned.

    In other examples posted on Tiktok in recent days, a woman wades through murky floodwaters, and a person films as the car they are travelling in drives down a flooded road.

    Similar behaviour was observed during floods in Townsville earlier this year. Residents filmed themselves diving and wading into floodwaters, and towing each other on inflatable rafts.

    And during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, social media was filled with images of people in Queensland surfing dangerous swells and wading in rough surf.

    A worrying trend

    Our research explores the links between social media and adverse health outcomes.

    Selfie-related injury has become a public health concern. People are increasingly venturing off-trail, seeking out attractive but hazardous locations such as cliff edges and coastal rock platforms.

    These behaviours can lead to injury and death. They can also put emergency services personnel in harm’s way. In 2021, for example, a woman fell into a swollen river on Canberra’s outskirts while trying to take a selfie with friends, prompting a police official to warn:

    There is no photo or social media post that is worth risking your life to get. Any water rescue puts the lives of not only of yourself but those of emergency services personnel at risk.

    Getting to grips with the problem

    How should the problem be tackled? Previous research by others has recommended “no-selfie zones”, barriers, and signs as ways to prevent selfie incidents. But our research suggests these measures may not be enough.

    The phenomenon of selfie-related incidents requires a public health approach. This entails addressing the behaviour through prevention, education, and other interventions such as via social media platforms.

    In the latest floods, unsafe behaviour has occurred despite a series of official flood, weather and other warnings. Residents also continue to drive into floodwaters, despite repeated pleas from authorities.

    Official warnings compete with – and can lose out to – more emotionally compelling, visually rich content. If the public sees other people behaving recklessly and apparently unharmed, then even clear, fact-based warnings can be ignored.

    This is especially true in communities experiencing “alert-fatigue” after having gone through disasters before.

    Sometimes, vague terminology in warnings means the messages don’t necessarily cut through. We’ve seen this before in relation to surf safety. Technical phrases such as “hazardous swell” don’t change behaviour if people don’t understand what they mean.

    For warnings to work, they need to be clear and provide instruction – stating what the danger actually is, and what to explicitly do, or not do.

    For social media users, that might mean spelling out not to go into floodwaters to capture content for social media.

    We’ve also previously called on social media companies to be held more accountable for the dangerous content they publish – by flagging risky content and supporting in-app safety messaging, especially at high-risk locations or during extreme weather events.

    What to do right now

    If you’re in or near a flood zone, follow guidance from emergency services to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

    When it comes to using social media in an emergency:

    • stay entirely out of floodwaters, even for a quick photo

    • think before you post. Your safety is more important than your content. No post is worth risking your life

    • avoid glamourising risk. Sharing risky photos or videos can influence others to do the same, potentially with worse outcomes

    • follow official advice. Floodwaters are unpredictable. Warnings are issued for a reason

    • use your platform for good. Share verified information, support affected communities and help amplify safety messages.

    As extreme weather becomes more frequent in Australia under climate change, so too will the urge to document them. But we risk turning disasters into digital spectacles – at the expense of our lives and that of rescuers.

    Samuel Cornell receives funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is supported by a University of New South Wales Sydney, University Postgraduate Award. His research is supported by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia to aid in the prevention of drowning. Research at Royal Life Saving Society – Australia is supported by the Australian government. He has been affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW in a paid and voluntary capacity.

    Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Meta Platforms, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. She holds an honorary affiliation with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.

    – ref. Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content – https://theconversation.com/disaster-or-digital-spectacle-the-dangers-of-using-floods-to-create-social-media-content-257350

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Director’s Workforce Message About the 18th Anniversary of Robert Levinson’s Abduction

    Source: US FBI

    FBI Director Kash Patel issued the following message to the Bureau workforce to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the abduction of retired FBI Special Agent Robert “Bob” Levinson from Kish Island in Iran in 2007:

    All,

    This Sunday marks 18 years since Robert “Bob” Levinson was abducted from Iran’s Kish Island. It’s also U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, a time for our entire nation to remember Bob and all Americans wrongfully captured and detained overseas.

    Over the years, the Bureau has worked to secure the recovery of many Americans held hostage abroad, but Bob’s case hits especially close to home. He spent nearly three decades in service to our nation, including 22 years as an FBI special agent. He was one of ours.

    While we’re still early in my time at the Bureau, I have long been familiar with the story of Bob’s disappearance and am honored to call the Levinson family my friends. On my first morning as Director, I visited the Hall of Honor at FBI Headquarters to pay tribute to our fallen heroes and to tour the exhibit dedicated to Bob’s extraordinary life and career.

    I’m also no stranger to the Bureau’s essential work with our partners to bring American hostages home, and I’m grateful to the countless employees across our organization who are working tirelessly to get the Levinson family the answers they need and deserve. I’m proud to have supported that mission during my own career, and yesterday I joined our partners at the State Department in a flag-raising ceremony marking our commitment to all U.S. hostages and wrongful detainees.

    Far too many questions remain about Bob’s kidnapping, detention, and probable death, but I’m encouraged by the progress our investigative team continues to make. Last month we released posters seeking information about two senior Iranian intelligence officers we suspect were involved in abducting Bob on behalf of the Iranian regime. The Bureau is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his recovery, location, and return. That’s in addition to a reward of up to $20 million offered by the State Department.

    Bob leaves behind a legacy of dedication, patriotism, and strength. We won’t stop until we’ve uncovered the truth about what happened to him and brought him home.

    Kash Patel

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canadian Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Destruction of Energy Facilities in North and South Dakota

    Source: US FBI

    Cameron Monte Smith, 50, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced today to 150 months in prison per count, to be served consecutively, for two counts of destroying an energy facility — one incident in the District of North Dakota and another in the District of South Dakota.Smith was also ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution.

    According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to the two offenses where he admitted to damaging the Wheelock Substation, located near Ray, North Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

    Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July 2022. Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota.

    Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota; U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota; and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.

    The FBI investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williams County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Clark County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department, and the Beadle County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek for the District of South Dakota, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri for the District of North Dakota, and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Individuals Plead Guilty to Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize Transmigrante Forwarding Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder Money

    Source: US FBI

    The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that eight defendants have pleaded guilty for their conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The three remaining defendants to the superseding indictment remain at large as fugitives. Transmigrantes are individuals who transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.

    “The Criminal Division is committed to holding violent criminal organizations accountable in whatever markets in which they operate,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Transnational criminal organizations that use violence to dominate industries will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “These guilty pleas bring to justice individuals who used violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for essential services that Americans rely on to earn a living,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the public by prosecuting violent criminals – including those who aim to corrupt America’s free markets.”

    “Price fixing harms both the public and the business community,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “Schemes like this artificially drive up prices, forcing consumers to pay more than they ordinarily would. At its core, such market collusion is nothing more than theft from consumers.”

    “These defendants tried to rule through fear, using threats, violence and intimidation to eliminate competition,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Their guilty pleas send a clear message that price fixing and market allocation are serious crimes, and we will hold those accountable who put profits over the law and fair commerce.”

    “Today’s pleas reflect the relentlessness of the federal government’s pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that exploit international trade and the U.S. economy,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This violent scheme was fueled by greed that undermined the safety and economic security of the border region; HSI has prioritized significant resources to protect the U.S. and our legitimate trade.”

    According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Houston, defendants Carlos Martinez also known as “Cuate,” Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, Roberto Garcia Villareal, Sandra Guerra Medina, and Mireya Miranda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The conspirators fixed the prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Market participants who were not part of the conspiracy had to join and pay into the Pool. Pool members enforced the rules of the Pool by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices, including by posting prices publicly on social media, and monitoring whether agencies were paying into the Pool as required.

    Martinez, Calvillo, Villareal, and Carlos Yzaguirre pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion. Martinez also pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by extortion. The defendants conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Defendant Martinez was responsible for at least $9.5 million in extortion payments.

    Martinez and Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy, through which they laundered extortion proceeds. Cash obtained from the extortion conspiracy was deposited into bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, and those deposits were made to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. Juan Hector Ramirez Avila pleaded guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.

    Martinez agreed to forfeit four real properties and $375,000 in seized U.S. currency, to pay a fine, and to pay full restitution to extortion victims. Guerra, Miranda, Calvillo, and Villareal have also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements.

    Rigoberto Brown and Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    Conspiracies to allocate the market, fix prices, or monopolize in violation of the Sherman Act carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $1 million fine for an individual. Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine. Money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $500,000 fine. Structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the Antitrust Division, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of VCRS, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Reaching Out to Assist Victims of Crime

    Source: US FBI

    For instance, during a case that involved reaching out to an Amish community that did not use technology, VOSS worked with a local newspaper in Pennsylvania to translate seeking victim information into Pennsylvania Dutch, so it was accessible to the community.

    “Our biggest asset that we have is our liaison partners,” said Shannon.

    Once someone fills out a Seeking Victim information questionnaire, the VOSS team will compile the data and turn it over to the investigative case team and victim specialists.

    “We have victims carrying heavy trauma who need direct services immediately, so our victim specialists will step in as soon as possible,” said Shannon. “Even if victims may not need a service right away, the victim specialists are very good about making sure they know they have access to getting more help when they’re ready.”

    It’s never too late to fill out a Seeking Victim Information questionnaire—even if the crime happened years ago, there is no statute of limitations for reporting your experience. You can choose if you want to receive further notifications regarding a case or you can decide to report your experience and then cease communications. Any information you provide could be valuable information used to protect and help others who were also victimized and further prevent additional people from getting hurt. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: National Missing Children’s Day 2024

    Source: US FBI

    Every year on National Missing Children’s Day, May 25, we reaffirm our commitment to investigating these cases and finding children who have been reported kidnapped or missing, and we continue to encourage parents, caregivers, and others to make child safety a priority.

    Please take a look at the faces of the children at the bottom of this page—these are just some of the many children who have gone missing, leaving behind family and friends waiting for any news of their loved ones. If you have any information about these children that could help lead to their recovery, please consider contacting the FBI, local law enforcement, or submitting a tip online.

    Children continue to face dangerous threats from online predators, human traffickers, kidnappers, and other criminals who mean harm. 

    The FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) teams are composed of experienced personnel with a proven track record in crimes against children investigations, especially cases where a child has been abducted by someone other than a family member. Team members provide on-the-ground investigative, technical, and resource assistance to state and local law enforcement. The teams work closely with representatives from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime coordinators, and child exploitation task force members.

    The FBI’s Child Victim Services program within the Victim Services Division provides support to child victims, the families of child victims, and witnesses of federal crimes. The team is focused on ensuring that any interactions with child victims or witnesses are tailored to the child’s stage of development and minimize any additional trauma to the child. In addition, they connect children and families to other resources to support their health and well-being through difficult times.

    National Missing Children’s Day is also a reminder about preparedness should the unthinkable ever happen to your child. You can download the FBI’s Child ID app, which allows you to quickly share key information with authorities if your child is missing. The free app also includes tips on keeping children safe and guidance on what to do during the first crucial hours after a child goes missing. (The FBI does not collect or store the information or photos you enter into the app. The data resides on your mobile device unless you choose to send it to authorities in an emergency.)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Preventing Laser Strikes on Aircraft

    Source: US FBI

    Investigating Laser Strikes 

    The first federal laser law was enacted in 2012, when Congress passed it as part of the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration.  

    Before 2012, the Bureau pursued laser pointer investigations under a law forbidding “destruction of an aircraft,” which Gates likened to “trying to smash a square peg into the round hole.” 

    The 2012 federal statute makes it illegal for people to “knowingly” point a laser pointer’s beam “at an aircraft”—whether private, commercial, or military—or its flight path. Most importantly, it attaches consequences to this action: A monetary fine of up to $250,000 and/or a federal prison sentence of up to five years. On top of that, the FAA’s website notes that it “can impose civil penalties of up to $11,000” each time someone aims a laser beam at an aircraft. 

    “That suddenly gave us real teeth in enforcement,” Gates said of the statute. “It made shining a laser pointer at an aircraft a five-year maximum penalty felony, which is a really big deal.” 

    And, as Gates recalls, it paid off: He opened his first investigation into a laser strike violation within two months of the law’s implementation, which eventually resulted in a conviction. 

    According to the FAA, the profile of individuals responsible for laser strikes differs between different locations of the country. But when it comes to FBI investigations into such incidents, Gates said, “we’re looking for that person who’s intentionally tracking an aircraft, who does it over and over.” 

    He said that red flags for FBI investigators include: 

    • A laser beam that follows an aircraft as it moves 
    • A laser beam that keeps coming at an aircraft, even after its position has changed 
    • Clusters of laser strikes reports from aircraft traversing the same stretch of airspace 

    The FBI commonly catches laser strike offenders in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement partners, Gates explained. 

    The universally accepted procedure is that an air traffic controller notifies local law enforcement dispatch, who will then notify law enforcement air units and ground patrols, if available, the FAA said. 

    From there, if a local police helicopter deploys to the scene and gets lased, they can use technology like infrared cameras to pinpoint the exact location the laser beam came from.

    Helicopter crews can then reach out to their agencies for on-the-ground backup or call the FBI for assistance. An October 2022 laser strike against an Austin Police Department helicopter led to the arrest and conviction of two Texas men, Ventresca noted.  

    Bureau partnerships with local, state, and federal partners—as well as with commercial airlines—are key to ensuring that members of the aviation and law enforcement communities know how to seek the Bureau’s help in addressing laser strikes. This is especially important in states and municipalities that lack laser-strike laws of their own, since local or state authorities can ask the FBI to investigate incidents in those areas as federal crimes. 

    Help Us Protect the Skies 

    We’ve all likely mistaken an airplane for a star or other celestial body at least once in our lives. But pointing out a possible star with a laser could endanger the aircrew if your suspicion is wrong. For this reason, it’s best to keep your laser pointers out of the sky. 

    If you spot someone aiming a laser at the sky in a suspicious manner, you can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visiting tips.fbi.gov. You can also report laser strikes to the FAA. 

    You should contact the FBI immediately if you see someone playing with lasers near—or otherwise posing a threat to—an airport. 

    Finally, if you’re thinking of gifting a laser pointer to someone—especially if they’re a minor—educate them on the very real dangers of misusing these devices. 

    “If we can prevent one 15-year-old from ending up with federal or state charges or even the large fine, that’s a win,” Ventresca said. “If we can prevent one catastrophe, prevent one pilot from being blinded, that makes it worth it.” 

    Resources: 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Supporting Victims in Missing Children Cases

    Source: US FBI

    Our Victim Services Division provides support to child victims and witnesses of federal crimes, as well as their families and loved ones, through investigative forensic interviews and coordination with victim specialists who ensure all parties receive the proper care when faced with devastating challenges. The team is trained to ensure that any interactions with child victims or witnesses are tailored to the child’s stage of development and to minimize any additional trauma to the child.

    A missing child is someone whose whereabouts became unknown when they were aged 17 or younger. Victim Services Division personnel often support these cases even as time progresses and the victim who went missing as a child may have grown into an adult. Regardless of how the child initially went missing, victim specialists work with families and loved ones, as well as victims who have been found. 

    “That family is missing their child during crisis. We would respond the same to that family,” explained Jennifer Piero, a victim specialist at the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “If the FBI were involved in the case or asked by a police department to become involved, we would immediately start providing the family with updates and any services we can provide, as well as crisis intervention.”

    Victim specialists work with the families throughout the investigation—no matter how long—and are often present during a victim’s recovery.

    When victim specialists are assigned a case, they immediately start working with FBI agents, task force officers, and local law enforcement to meet the missing child’s family. These first interactions are the foundations for building trust with the families. The victim specialist looks into the following: 

    • Who are the missing child’s relatives? 
    • Are there siblings, and, if so, are they juveniles? 
    • Which family members should be interviewed for background information?

    “Siblings may know different things than parents, so we have to look at setting up child interviews with our child and adolescent forensic interviewers, or CAFIs. The CAFIs gather information they might know, such as whether they might have witnessed anything the missing child had done or somebody they had talked to before disappearing,” said Piero. 

    “Then there are the assessments of the parents that the agents are working on to ensure that a parent is not potentially involved in the child’s disappearance,” continued Piero. “Once they’ve ruled out that possibility, we continue to work with the family. We coordinate communication with the agents to ensure the family is the first to receive updates about the case.”

    Victim specialists also assess whether initial crisis intervention and counseling services are needed and ensure those resources are provided. As the investigation develops, victim specialists will work with FBI public affairs and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to alert the public about the missing child and ask for help finding them. 

    One of NCMEC’s vital roles includes creating age-progressed photos of the victim. These photos are shared on NCMEC’s website and FBI missing person posters and disseminated to law enforcement and media outlets.

    “We obtain photos of the victim’s family members—mom, the dad, any family members—to provide an image of what that child might look like at an older age,” said Piero. “Once NCMEC creates that image, we take it to the family and have them give us some critiques or say what they think might be different, because they know their child best.”

    And as victim specialists help agents and task force offers gather and share information related to the case, they are simultaneously developing plans for if and when a victim is found and reunited with their family to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible. Some items to consider include: 

    • What are the logistics for reuniting the victim with their family? 
    • What are the logistics to ensure the victim receives medical assistance?  
    • What is the plan to help mitigate interactions with the community and the press? 

    For instance, events like large celebratory gatherings and homecomings immediately after a successful recovery—though often well-intentioned—may be too overwhelming for the victim and their families at that time. Victim specialists will help manage these scenarios. In one case, victim specialists helped arrange the first reunification between the victim and their family at a location outside their town so they could have some privacy before facing the general public and media.

    “We want to mitigate any types of secondary trauma, making sure that people aren’t asking the victim questions that are not victim sensitive,” said Catherine Connell, unit chief of the Child Victim Services Unit. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican Cartels Targeting Americans in Timeshare Fraud Scams, FBI Warns

    Source: US FBI

    Estas estafas les han costado a las víctimas más de $300 millones de dólares. Aprenda cómo protegerse.

    El FBI ha visto un aumento en las estafas dirigidas a propietarios de tiempo compartido. En este tipo de estafa, los delincuentes engañan a estos propietarios de tiempo parcial para que desembolsen cuantiosas sumas de dinero en efectivo, todo bajo falsas pretensiones relacionadas con sus propiedades de tiempo compartido.

    Su elección principal de víctima—estadounidenses mayores—técnicamente esto hace que el fraude de tiempo compartido sea una forma de fraude a personas mayores, o delito que tiene como objetivo hacer que los estadounidenses mayores sean despojados de su dinero o criptomoneda. El FBI investiga agresivamente tales delitos para salvaguardar de estafas a una población particularmente vulnerable, dijo el Agente Especial Adjunto a Cargo Paul Roberts, quien dirige la Subdivisión de Delitos Financieros Complejos en la Oficina de Nueva York.

    “Los estafadores de tiempo compartido tienen como objetivo dejar a las víctimas sin nada, lo cual deja en las victimas consecuencias devastadoras en su futuro financiero, relaciones, salud física y emocional”, señaló el mismo.

    Sin embargo, indicó él, el fraude de tiempo compartido también se encuentra en el radar del Buró debido a que sus ganancias ilícitas se utilizan cada vez más para financiar cárteles violentos en México. “A medida que los cárteles cimientan aún más su control en este espacio, es especialmente crítico que el FBI tome la iniciativa en abordar esta amenaza a personas mayores estadounidenses”, dijo Roberts. Él agregó que algunos estafadores participan en estos esquemas porque temen convertirse en las próximas víctimas de estos cárteles.

    Los cárteles han operado los fraudes de tiempo compartido más reportados que involucran propiedades en México, dijo Roberts. El Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), el Cártel del Golfo y el Cártel de Sinaloa han estado ejecutando esquemas de fraude de tiempo compartido, para ayudar a financiar sus actividades ilícitas, durante más de diez años. Hasta la fecha, basado en denuncias y rastreo financieros, el FBI cree que el CJNG ha sido el cártel que predominantemente participa en fraudes de tiempo compartido en México. Sin embargo, es probable que los centros de llamadas independientes en México también estén participando en este delito.

    El fraude de tiempo compartido es una operación atractiva para los cárteles ya que es más barato y representa menos desafíos logísticos, laborales y de supervisión que otras operaciones generadoras de ingresos como el tráfico de drogas y armas, explicó Roberts.

    “El fraude de tiempo compartido tiene costos generalmente bajos y reinversión mínima ya que sólo se necesita un alquiler de espacio reducido, configuración de telecomunicaciones y empleados de habla inglesa con acceso a bases de datos de complejos turísticos”, dijo Roberts. “Se percibe un menor riesgo de enjuiciamiento y de extradición por fraude de tiempo compartido, y en cambio sí es un flujo de efectivo fácil que va directamente al sistema bancario mexicano, ofuscando los fondos para facilitar las actividades de lavado de dinero”.

    Estos esquemas—impactan desproporcionadamente a los estadounidenses ricos y mayores que quieren recuperar parte del dinero que gastaron en sus tiempos compartidos—dejan huellas emocionales y financieras en sus víctimas”.

    Sin embargo, el FBI está utilizando una combinación de asociaciones estratégicas para detectar, investigar y prevenir estos esquemas.

    “Nos asociamos con una variedad de diferentes agencias para investigar estos casos, las cuales incluyen la Administración Federal Antidrogas de Estados Unidos (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés) y a la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros del Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos (OFAC, por sus siglas en inglés)”, dijo Roberts. “Asimismo coordinamos con agencias estatales y locales para asegurarnos también de recibir denuncias de víctimas presentadas ante estas instancias. Trabajamos cada vez más con socios del sector privado en la industria financiera para ayudar en la detección y prevención de estos fraudes”.

    ¿Cómo Funcionan Las Estafas de Fraude de Tiempo Compartido?

    Para llevar a cabo sus estafas, los estafadores realizan una amplia investigación sobre sus posibles víctimas. Los delincuentes crean documentos falsos y se hacen pasar por personas de instituciones confiables para embaucar a las víctimas con sus historias y asustarlas para lograr que cumplan.

    “A lo largo del proceso, los estafadores utilizan una combinación de tácticas de ventas de alta presión y estrategias de fraude cibernéticas, tales como las de imitar direcciones de correo electrónico de entidades legítimas y falsificar documentos oficiales, para convencer a las víctimas de que cada fase de la estafa es legítima”, explicó Roberts.

    Y, añadió Roberts, este no es un tipo de estafa de una sola vez. Los estafadores suelen utilizar una combinación de esquemas para re-victimizar a los propietarios de tiempo compartido durante un período de varios años.

    Estos tipos de estafas suelen desarrollarse en tres fases, explicó Roberts.

    En la fase uno, dijo, los estafadores hacen contacto con la víctima por primera vez por teléfono o por correo electrónico.

    “En estas comunicaciones iniciales con las víctimas, los estafadores a menudo se hacen pasar por  corredores terciarios de tiempo compartido o representantes de venta de la industria de tiempo compartido, bienes raíces o servicios financieros localizados en Estados Unidos o México”, dijo Roberts.

    Los estafadores luego instan a la víctima a tomar una de estas tres acciones:

    1. Salirse de su tiempo compartido
    2. Alquilar su propiedad de tiempo compartido
    3. Invertir en certificados de acciones para su tiempo compartido

    Los estafadores posteriormente presionan a las víctimas a que paguen por adelantado honorarios o impuestos para asegurar estos acuerdos, explicó Roberts.

    Y, advirtió Roberts, los estafadores hacen su tarea. Antes de empezar a estafar a las víctimas, estos se ponen en contacto con fuentes dentro de la industria del tiempo compartido para obtener información sobre las propiedades de tiempo compartido y sus dueños. También hacen hasta lo imposible para vender a sus objetivos [victimas] la autenticidad de sus esquemas por medio de contractos redactados, cartas de oferta y documentación de cuentas bancarias fraudulentos.

    “Los estafadores, asimismo, con el fin de reforzar su credibilidad, se apalancan de una vigorosa red de sitios web de empresas falsas, nombres de negocios y direcciones, registros con funcionarios gubernamentales y grupos comerciales”, dijo Roberts.

    Y, agregó, los estafadores son aparentemente angloparlantes fluidos quienes han memorizado respuestas a preguntas frecuentes sobre sus negocios falsos para así vender aún más la farsa de que sus argumentos de venta son legítimos.

    Los estafadores después exigen repetidos pagos adelantados hasta que la víctima se queda sin dinero o se entera de su esquema.

    En la fase dos de la estafa, los estafadores vuelven a acercarse a las víctimas después de haber pasado algún tiempo. En esta ocasión, los estafadores se hacen pasar por empleados de bufetes de abogados que quieren ayudar a las víctimas a recuperar el dinero que éstas les entregaron a los estafadores en la fase uno.

    “Los estafadores a menudo afirman que los estafadores iniciales han sido acusados de fraude o considerados jurídicamente responsables en una demanda en Estados Unidos o México, y que a las víctimas se les debe restituir en el acuerdo de reposición”, explicó Roberts. No obstante, para acceder a ese dinero de restitución, a las víctimas se les dice que deben pagar honorarios legales o judiciales a los bufetes de abogados. Los estafadores subsecuentemente defraudan a las víctimas con una serie de pagos anticipados relacionados con este acuerdo; nuevamente utilizando documentos falsos para reforzar su credibilidad”.

    La tercera fase de la estafa implica la suplantación del gobierno. Los estafadores se hacen pasar por funcionarios de la OFAC, de la Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera del gobierno de México o de otras entidades internacionales, tales como la INTERPOL.

    Luego toman una de dos vías:

    • Los suplantadores del gobierno afirman que están contactando a las víctimas porque tienen acceso a acuerdos penales y desean ayudarlas a recuperar el dinero perdido.
    • O bien, los suplantadores tratan de asustar a las víctimas para que proporcionen aún más dinero. Esto lo hacen informándoles a las víctimas de que sus pagos iniciales a los estafadores de tiempo compartido se consideraron sospechosos. Los estafadores luego les dicen a las víctimas que las autoridades determinaron que sus pagos a los estafadores de tiempo compartido estaban “vinculados al lavado de dinero o a operaciones terroristas”. Subsecuentemente, estos amenazan con citar a las víctimas a comparecer o con enviarlas a prisión si no pagan dinero adicional con el fin de asegurar de que sus pagos se liberen y se limpien sus nombres.

    Reconocer las Señales

    El fraude de tiempo compartido no se denuncia por dos razones principales: Las víctimas o no se dan cuenta de que están siendo estafadas, o no se dan cuenta de que hay ayuda disponible. Dicho esto, el FBI y la Comisión Federal de Comercio han visto recientemente un repunte en denuncias. En los últimos cinco años, dijo Roberts, más de 6,000 víctimas han reportado a las agencias más de 300 millones de dólares en pérdidas.

    El FBI espera que una mayor cobertura mediática del fraude de tiempo compartido eduque al público sobre la amenaza e inspire a más víctimas a presentar denuncias.

    “No hay nada vergonzoso en caer víctima de una estafa como esta”, dijo Roberts. “Lo peor que la gente puede hacer es sufrir en silencio por vergüenza o por miedo a la crítica”.

    Mientras tanto, usted puede protegerse de caer víctima de fraude de tiempo compartido sí reconoce las señales.

    • Primero, dijo éste, nadie le debería pedir que pague honorarios o impuestos por adelantado, ni le debería pedir que proporcione un formulario de poder notarial. Ninguna de éstas es práctica estándar de la industria. Cada uno es una señal de peligro.
    • Próximo, dijo él, si alguien que dice ser funcionario del gobierno se pone en contacto con usted, esa persona no debería:
    • Ponerse en contacto con usted sobre un acuerdo de restitución.
    • Amenazarlo con arresto o enjuiciamiento si no se paga el dinero.
    • Amenazarlo con citatorio a comparecer ante un tribunal fuera de los Estados Unidos.
    • Afirmar el estar trabajando con el FBI y/o la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros del Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos para expedirle un citatorio.
    • Por último, usted puede tomar algunas medidas proactivas para protegerse contra la estafa de fraude de tiempo compartido. No conteste llamadas telefónicas de números desconocidos.
    • Si alguien se comunica con usted sobre su tiempo compartido y solicita dinero por adelantado, deje de comunicarse con ellos y no pague.
    • Nunca firme, certifique ante notario, ni envíe ningún poder notarial o documentos legales por correo electrónico.

    Las Posibles Consecuencias del Fraude de Tiempo Compartido

    Las personas que ayudan a orquestar estafas de fraude de tiempo compartido pueden enfrentar la extradición a Estados Unidos y posible enjuiciamiento por una serie de cargos penales, los que incluye:

    • Fraude electrónico
    • Fraude bancario
    • Confabulación para cometer fraude electrónico
    • Confabulación para cometer fraude bancario
    • Blanqueo de dinero
    • Cargos por la Ley sobre organizaciones corruptas influidas por el crimen organizado (RICO)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Warning for the west and southwest ahead of windy weather

    Source:

    CFA is urging people in the west and south west of the state to be careful this Sunday, 25 May, with fire risk expected to be elevated.

    CFA is urging people in the west and south west of the state to be careful this Sunday, 25 May, with fire risk expected to be elevated.  

    Despite cooler conditions across Victoria, there are strong winds forecast for the west and south west on Sunday into Monday, which will put the area into high fire danger conditions we aren’t used to seeing this time of year.  

    Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer for the West region, Graeme Armstrong, said the wind combined with the ongoing levels of dryness means any fires that start are likely to spread quickly.  

    “We are asking people to remain vigilant and not become complacent just because we’re not in summer anymore,” Graeme said. 

    “The impact and damage of an escaped fire on local communities and emergency services can be devastating. 

    “Whether that involves unnecessary callouts to a private burn-off, a campfire or outdoor cooking, we urge you to remain vigilant, reconsider your plans and ensure your set up is safe and adheres to the conditions.”  

    Since 1 April to 20 May, CFA has responded to 178 escaped burn-offs across the state.  

    “Escaped burn-offs continue to cause significant concern and great risk to our communities,” Graeme said.  

    “I urge landowners to help reduce unnecessary callouts, by registering their burn-offs online.  

    “This helps prevent false alarms which divert resources from other emergencies.” 

    CFA recently extended the Fire Danger Period in the far northeast of the state for Towong Shire Council until 23 June 2025. 

    While the rest of the state is now out of fire restrictions, CFA still urges extreme caution when burning off. 

    “The lack of rainfall and dry vegetation across many parts of the state is a great concern for firefighters this time of the year,” Graeme said. 

    “The community needs to play their part in helping us protect lives and property all year round.” 

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man faces drug trafficking, stealing charges

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man faces drug trafficking, stealing charges

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 1:59 pm.

    A 36-year-old Tasmanian man has been charged with drug trafficking and stealing offences following an almost month-long police operation in the state’s south.
    Police co-ordinating Operation Finger allege the man was responsible for a total of 68.6 grams of methamphetamine found in separate searches at two properties, with the combined quantity of drugs seized equivalent to about 680 individual street deals.
    Also seized during the searches was ammunition and a significant quantity of allegedly stolen tools. The tools have been identified by previous reports to police and have since been returned to owners.
    In the first search, of a property at Brighton on April 30, police will allege 35.6 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of ammunition and power tools were found. The man was not present at the property at the time.
    Further investigations into the man’s activities prompted police to launch a targeted operation to locate him.
    On Wednesday this week, officers from Bridgewater CIB, with support from Glenorchy CIB and specialist resources, conducted a search of a property at Claremont.
    Police will allege the man tried to avoid them by leaving the house and jumping multiple fences of neighbouring properties to escape, before he was located nearby.
    It is alleged the man was responsible for a total of 33 grams of methamphetamine found in his possession and at a Claremont address.
    Police have charged the man with a series of drug and theft-related offences, including trafficking in a controlled substance, possess controlled plant or its products, possess a controlled drug, unlawful possession of property, stealing and two counts of burglary.
    The man is also facing two counts of computer-related fraud.
    Investigations have also resulted in charges against two other people, including an 18-year-old man who is facing charges of burglary, attempted stealing, unlawful possession of property and possess a controlled drug.
    A third man is facing a drugs charge for allegedly being in possession of about 530 grams of cannabis.
    During the course of Operation Finger, support was also provided by Crime Stoppers.
    If you wish to report a crime, call police on 131 444 or dial triple zero (000) in an emergency.You can also provide information anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: President and CEO of Las Vegas-Based Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme Where He Stole Millions in Victim Investor Funds

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A Nevada man pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of wire fraud stemming from his role in a years-long fraud scheme, during which he stole more than $6.1 million in victim investor funds.

    According to court documents, Mykalai Kontilai, formerly Michael Contile, 55, of Las Vegas, facilitated an investment fraud scheme involving his company, Collector’s Coffee Inc., doing business as Collector’s Café (Collector’s Coffee), a company incorporated in California and headquartered in Las Vegas. From 2012 to 2018, Kontilai made or caused to be made numerous materially false and misleading representations to induce victims to invest in Collector’s Coffee — a company he claimed was on the verge of launching an online auction house for third-party owned collectibles, such as Hollywood and sport memorabilia. As a result of Kontilai’s numerous false and misleading statements, including that investor funds would be used for legitimate business purposes, that Kontilai had personally invested millions of his own money in the company, and that he did not take a salary, Kontilai successfully raised approximately $23 million from Collector’s Coffee investors. However, rather than using the proceeds as represented, Kontilai stole approximately $6.1 million for his own personal use, including for the purchase of luxury goods, apartments, and vehicles.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating Kontilai for misappropriating investor funds in or around 2017. Kontilai obstructed the investigation by forging documents that he caused to be transmitted to the SEC and lied under oath to the SEC. Kontilai was charged in connection with this conduct both in the present case on June 3, 2020, and in a separate case in the District of Colorado on March 10, 2020. While under investigation but prior to charging, Kontilai fled to Russia and was ultimately arrested on an Interpol Red Notice in Germany in 2023. He was extradited back to the United States to face the pending charges in May. As part of the plea agreement in this case, the government will move to dismiss the Colorado case at sentencing.

    Kontilai pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.

    The FBI and IRS-CI are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition from Germany of Kontilai.

    Trial Attorneys Brandon Burkart and Sara Hallmark of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section (FRD) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva for the District of Nevada prosecuted this case. Former FRD Trial Attorney Emily Scruggs provided valuable assistance. 

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: President and CEO of Las Vegas-Based Company Sentenced for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme Where He Stole Millions in Victim Investor Funds

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS — A Nevada man was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in prison and was ordered to pay $6.1 million in restitution stemming from his role in a years-long fraud scheme.

    According to court documents, Mykalai Kontilai, formerly Michael Contile, 55, of Las Vegas, facilitated an investment fraud scheme involving his company, Collector’s Coffee Inc., doing business as Collector’s Café (Collector’s Coffee), a company incorporated in California and headquartered in Las Vegas. From 2012 to 2018, Kontilai made or caused to be made numerous materially false and misleading representations to induce victims to invest in Collector’s Coffee — a company he claimed was on the verge of launching an online auction house for third-party owned collectibles, such as Hollywood and sport memorabilia. As a result of Kontilai’s numerous false and misleading statements, including that investor funds would be used for legitimate business purposes, that Kontilai had personally invested millions of his own money in the company, and that he did not take a salary, Kontilai successfully raised approximately $23 million from Collector’s Coffee investors. However, rather than using the proceeds as represented, Kontilai stole approximately $6.1 million for his own personal use, including for the purchase of luxury goods, apartments, and vehicles.

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating Kontilai for misappropriating investor funds in or around 2017. Kontilai obstructed the investigation by forging documents that he caused to be transmitted to the SEC and lied under oath to the SEC. Kontilai was charged in connection with this conduct both in the present case on June 3, 2020, and in a separate case in the District of Colorado on March 10, 2020. While under investigation but prior to charging, Kontilai fled to Russia and was ultimately arrested on an Interpol Red Notice in Germany in 2023. He was extradited back to the United States to face the pending charges in May.

    On Nov. 21, Kontilai pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. As part of the plea agreement in this case, the government has moved to dismiss the Colorado case.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.

    FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition from Germany of Kontilai.

    Trial Attorneys Brandon Burkart and Sara Hallmark of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva for the District of Nevada prosecuted this case. Former Fraud Section Trial Attorney Emily Scruggs provided valuable assistance.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Schenectady Man Sentenced for Assaulting Trial Witness’s Son

    Source: US FBI

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Civitello, age 19, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for assaulting a 15-year-old boy in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying in a federal criminal trial.

    Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    Patrick Civitello is the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., both of whom were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges following a jury trial in Albany in April 2023. A witness, identified in the indictment as V-1, testified at that trial.

    In pleading guilty, Patrick Civitello admitted that on the evening of May 19, 2024, while at a restaurant in Glenville, New York, he observed V-1, who was with her 15-year-old son (“V-2”). At the time he observed V-1, Patrick Civitello was speaking on the phone with Jeffrey Civitello Jr. (who was incarcerated), and Patrick Civitello told his brother that he had just seen V-1 walk into the restaurant. Patrick Civitello then said “I gotta rag this bitch, I gotta call you back,” meaning that he intended to retaliate against V-1 for her trial testimony. Jeffrey Civitello Jr. responded, “Ok run down, but do it away from everyone if you could.”

    V-1 and V-2 then exited the restaurant and headed to their vehicle in the parking lot. Patrick Civitello, who was following V-1 and V-2 out of the restaurant, briefly stopped in the parking lot to remove his watch and a cross-body bag. Having placed those items on the ground of the parking lot, Patrick Civitello charged in the direction of V-1 and V-2. He punched V-2 in the head, and continued to punch and kick V-2 after V-2 fell to the ground. V-2 suffered minor abrasions and bruises, including to his head, neck, and hand. 

    FBI agents arrested Patrick Civitello on June 13, 2024, on a criminal complaint. As he was being transported to the FBI Albany Field Office, he asked agents, “Don’t you think the witness deserved it?” and “What do you expect when you betray family and people you trust?”

    United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino called the assault an “attack on the justice system” that sends “a chilling message to anyone who might be subpoenaed to trial” to testify. She ordered Patrick Civitello to pay a $5,000 fine and to serve a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.

    The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Glenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin Segovia prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Timothy Gabriel Imprisoned on Federal Firearms Charge

    Source: US FBI

    Burlington, Vermont –  The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Timothy Gabriel, 31, who most recently has been living in the Rutland area, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 60 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Senior U.S. District Judge William Sessions III also ordered that Gabriel serve a three-year term of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence. He directed that the federal sentence run concurrently to state sentences that Gabriel is serving on related and unrelated cases. Gabriel has been held in federal custody since his arrest in October 2023.

    According to court records, someone stole a Vermont State Police cruiser from a residence in Rutland where it was parked in the pre-dawn hours of October 17, 2023. A few hours later, the car was found parked behind a downtown Rutland business. Investigators found that a police-issued Sig Sauer rifle had been forcibly removed from a secure locking device in the vehicle. Surveillance camera footage from businesses near where the cruiser was found showed the car enter a parking lot before dawn. The footage depicted a man, later identified as Timothy Gabriel, get out of the car, then leave the area with what appeared to be a rifle in his hand. DNA evidence later connected Gabriel to blood found inside the stolen cruiser. Gabriel is prohibited from possessing any firearms because he has several prior convictions in Vermont for felony offenses. Gabriel was arrested in Burlington on the afternoon of October 18, 2023. Court records show that Gabriel traded the stolen rifle for drugs. Law enforcement recovered the police rifle from a bag abandoned beside U.S. Route 7 near Bennington.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Rutland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Gabriel is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapids Theatre Owner Pleads Guilty to Defrauding COVID Relief Programs Out of More Than $1.8 Million

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John L. Hutchins, 71, of Lewiston, NY, pleaded guilty before Judge Meredith A. Vacca to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Douglas A. C. Penrose, who are handling the case, stated that between March 2020, and March 2024, Hutchins conspired with co-defendant Roberto Soliman and others to file fraudulent loan applications under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). The loans available for these programs were designed to provide emergency financial assistance pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act). Hutchins and Soliman applied for loans under the following companies, which were owned by Hutchins:

    •           Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, USA, Inc.

    •           1711 Main, LLC

    •           Bear Creek Entertainment, LLC

    •           Hutch Enterprises, LLC

    •           The Hutchins Agency, LLC

    •           CWE Entertainment, Corp. (owned by defendant Soliman)

    Between March and August 2020, Hutchins and Soliman received five Economic Injury Disaster Loans totaling $779,500.00. In addition, they received SVOG loans totaling $989,905.05, a PPP loan from Bank on Buffalo totaling $74,838, and a PPP loan from Northwest Bank totaling $41,140. In support of each of the loans, Hutchins and Soliman submitted false revenue and expense figures for the businesses on the loan applications.

    Charges remain pending against Roberto Soliman.

    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, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, and the New York State Office of Professional Discipline. 

    # # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alexander J. Weidner, 35, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that on February 28, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at Weidner’s residence as a result of child pornography uploaded to Snapchat and Instagram accounts, both associated with Weidner. Investigators seized two cellular telephones, which contained approximately 4,843 images and 371 videos of child pornography. Some of the images depicted minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, on two occasions, Weidner used the Session application to upload and share a video file containing child pornography with another Session user.

    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 New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

    Sentencing is scheduled for July 29, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Private Investigator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Acting as an Illegal Agent of the People’s Republic of China

    Source: US FBI

    Michael McMahon, a Former New York City Police Department Sergeant, Was Convicted at Trial for Participating in a Scheme to Stalk and Coerce a U.S. Resident to Return to the PRC as Part of the PRC’s “Operation Fox Hunt”

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Michael McMahon was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 18 months in prison for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as for interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit such acts in connection with his participation in a scheme to coerce a U.S. resident to return to the PRC as part of its international repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.”  McMahon and co-defendants Zhu Yong and Congying Zheng were convicted by a federal jury in June 2023 following a three-week trial.  As part of his sentence, McMahon was also ordered to pay a fine of $11,000.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Terence G. Reilly, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office (FBI); and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced the sentences. 

    “McMahon, a former law enforcement officer who swore an oath to protect the public, went rogue and dishonorably engaged in a scheme at the direction of the People’s Republic of China, terrorized victims living in the New York metropolitan area, and shattered their sense of safety and security,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement, the defendants’ plan to coerce the victims to return to China failed, and the defendants have instead been brought to justice for their role in China’s insidious Operation Fox Hunt.  My Office remains unwavering in its commitment to exposing and undermining efforts by foreign governments to perpetrate transnational repression schemes that threaten our national security interests and harm individuals living in the United States.” 

    Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their work on the case. 

    “Most private investigators operate within the bounds of the law and ethical conduct. McMahon knew exactly what he was doing—and at trial, we proved his knowing and willing participation in this scheme,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Reilly.  “His client, the People’s Republic of China, has invested years and millions of dollars trying to silence dissent beyond its borders. When those efforts cross into our country, they threaten our national security.  The PRC needs to understand: we will not tolerate it.”

    “This defendant allowed himself to become a partner in the PRC’s cruel harassment and intimidation campaign,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso.  “HSI, together with our federal counterparts, will continue to outfox our adversaries’ attempts to circumvent U.S. regulations, undermine national security, and target the American public.”

    As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, McMahon and his co-conspirators participated in an international campaign to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family in order to force him and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC to face purported corruption charges.  Beginning in 2012, John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 had been targeted for repatriation as part of the PRC’s transnational repression programs known as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net.”  John Doe #1 and his family had accordingly sought to keep their address out of public records.

    Yong hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, to locate John Doe #1.  McMahon obtained sensitive information about John Doe #1, which he then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer.  McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s relative and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he observed.  The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including a PRC police officer and a PRC prosecutor.

    As proven at trial, McMahon knew the operation was intended not only to locate John Doe #1, but to coerce him to return to the PRC by exerting pressure on his family members.  In April 2017, PRC officials threatened to jail John Doe #1’s sister, who lived in the PRC, in order to coerce John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father to travel from the PRC to their relative’s home in New Jersey.  John Doe #1’s father, who had recently suffered a brain hemorrhage, was so frail that a doctor accompanied him for the trip.  McMahon followed John Doe #1’s father from the relative’s New Jersey home, and, by doing so, was able to learn John Doe #1’s address. McMahon immediately provided this information to a PRC operative. 

    On September 4, 2018, Zheng and another co-conspirator drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 – at the address that McMahon had provided – where they pounded on the front door, attempted to enter the house, and then peered through the windows in the back of the home.  They left a note on the front door informing John Doe #1 that his “wife and children will be okay” if John Doe #1 surrendered himself to face a ten-year prison term in the PRC.

    McMahon knew that the subjects of his investigation were wanted by the PRC government, a fact that he texted about with another investigator he hired to help him.  Following his arrest, McMahon acknowledged knowing that his employers wanted to get the victim back to China “so they could prosecute him.”  After providing the victims’ address, McMahon told his surveillance partner that he was “waiting for a call” to find out what to do next.  McMahon’s partner responded, “Yeah.  From NJ State Police about an abduction,” to which McMahon responded “Lol.”  McMahon later suggested to a PRC co-conspirator that they “harass” John Doe #1 by “[p]ark[ing] outside his home and let[ting] him know we are there.”  McMahon took other investigative steps designed to harass the victims, such as researching their daughter’s university residence and college major.

    McMahon was paid more than $19,000 in total for his role in the illegal repatriation scheme.  In an apparent attempt to conceal the source of payments from his PRC clients, McMahon deposited those payments into his son’s bank account, the only time he had done so with client payments.

    Previously, in January 2025, Zhu and Zheng were sentenced respectively to 24 months’ and 16 months’ imprisonment.  Three additional co-defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign.  They are awaiting sentencing.  Five co-defendants in the indictment, Hu Ji, Li Minjun, Tu Lan, Zhu Feng, and Zhai Yongqiang are fugitives.

    The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States.  If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christine A. Bonomo and Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.  Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth also has provided valuable assistance.

    The Defendants:

    MICHAEL MCMAHON
    Age: 57
    Mahwah, New Jersey

    ZHU YONG
    Age: 68
    East Elmhurst, New York

    CONGYING ZHENG
    Age: 29
    Brooklyn, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-265 (S-1) (PKC)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ringleader of COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: US FBI

    CINCINNATI – Joseph Lentine III, 55, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 63 months in prison for orchestrating a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme involving millions of dollars.

    According to court documents, Lentine oversaw a fraud scheme in which he prepared and filed fraudulent loan applications and controlled a significant portion of the loan proceeds once obtained. He knowingly and intentionally made false statements to receive funds to which he and other applicants were not entitled. In addition to defrauding Small Business Administration loan programs, Lentine also fraudulently sought unemployment assistance and emergency rental assistance.

    In total, Lentine submitted more than 20 loan applications seeking more than $3 million and obtaining $1.5 million.

    The defendant personally received more than $450,000 in PPP loan proceeds related to this scheme and used the money to buy a yacht and a Mercedes Benz vehicle.

    As part of his sentence, Lentine was ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration and nearly $33,000 to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

    Lentine pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiring to commit bank fraud and making a false statement on a loan or credit application.

    Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Two Defendants Who Were Charged with 23 Other Ohioans in Narcotics Distribution Ring

    Source: US FBI

    One defendant also convicted of sex-trafficking victims through use of drug withdrawals, violence

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted two local men for their roles in a narcotics distribution ring involving bulk amounts of fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine & other narcotics. As part of this case, the government has seized more than $1.7 million, 50 firearms, and nine vehicles, including a motorcycle. One of the defendants convicted at trial also sex-trafficked at least three adult victims.

    The jury found David Price, 56, of Columbus, guilty on all counts, and Tavaryyuan Johnson, 25, of Columbus, guilty on drug trafficking counts.

    The verdict was announced on Feb. 5 following a trial that began on January 13, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.

    A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury initially indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in central Ohio within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school.

    A superseding indictment returned in October 2022 charged additional co-conspirators with distributing those same drugs in addition to methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax and Oxycodone.

    Price, who is also known as “DP,” was charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024 with 11 drug, firearm and sex trafficking crimes. He faces a minimum of 25 years and up to life in prison.

    Johnson is also known as “Gucci” and “TJ,” and was also charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024. He was convicted of four drug offenses, including using a family residence in Columbus as his stash house for bulk amounts of narcotics. Johnson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

    According to court documents and trial testimony, the two men were part of a conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of “crack” cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, as well as marijuana, oxycodone and alprazolam. The drug trafficking organization operated from January 2008 until it was dismantled by law enforcement in 2022.

    Drug offenses took place at residences on Burgess and Harris avenues, which are within 1,000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School.

    In July 2021, Price distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine that resulted in the overdose death of an adult female.  The testimony at trial indicated he purposefully killed her to get rid of her as she was talking to the police about his drug business.

    The government also proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Price conspired to commit sex trafficking. From 2016 until 2022, Price and other members of the conspiracy would force and/or coerce adult female drug addicts into performing commercial sex acts by providing, withholding, or threatening to withhold controlled substances and lodging. Law enforcement’s investigation showed that various women engaged in a “rinse and repeat” cycle where they would be allowed to stay at a drug residence associated with Price, receive a front of drugs so they were not in active drug withdrawal, go to Sullivant Avenue, have sex for money, pay the debt from the front drugs, and then be allowed to remain at the house.

    Price was also found guilty of three counts of sex trafficking related to his violence and coercion towards three adult females.  The testimony at trial indicated that he would lock the females inside his residence for days or weeks at a time and refuse to let them leave, forcing them to engage in sex acts.  One victim was locked in a dog cage, shot and stabbed by Price. Another was restrained.  A third was beaten and choked and left with a black eye. Price would refuse to provide them drugs unless or until they engaged in the sex acts, forcing them into withdrawal if they did not comply.

    U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

    This case 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 OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Formerly Employed by Ohio Company Convicted of Damaging Source Code and Deleting Data

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND — A federal jury in Cleveland convicted a Texas man today for writing and deploying malicious code on his former employer’s network.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Davis Lu, 55, of Houston, was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019.

    Following a 2018 corporate realignment that reduced his responsibilities and system access, Lu began sabotaging his employer’s systems. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created “infinite loops” (in this case, code designed to exhaust Java threads by repeatedly creating new threads without proper termination and resulting in server crashes or hangs), deleted coworker profile files, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his credentials in the company’s active directory were disabled. The “kill switch” code — which Lu named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, abbreviating “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory” — was automatically activated upon his termination on Sept. 9, 2019, and impacted thousands of company users globally. Lu named other code “Hakai,” a Japanese word meaning “destruction,” and “HunShui,” a Chinese word meaning “sleep” or “lethargy.”

    Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of Lu’s actions.

    “Mr. Lu was calculating in his intent to inflict damage to a company that provides products and services to businesses and organizations that span a variety of industries and fields,” said Acting United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. “Together with our colleagues from the Criminal Division and the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute those who intend to disrupt business operations, especially, if it has the potential to inflict greater harm on national and international levels. We will hold perpetrators accountable and pursue justice against vindictive employees who break federal laws.”

    “Sadly, Davis Lu used his education, experience, and skill to purposely harm and hinder not only his employer and their ability to safely conduct business, but also stifle thousands of users worldwide,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI and its cadre of exceptionally qualified agents and analysts will continue to identify, find, and investigate individuals who seek to carry out deliberate and destructive actions against businesses or organizations for retaliatory or malicious purposes.”

    The jury convicted Lu of causing intentional damage to protected computers, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Cleveland Division investigated the case.

    Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • Djokovic within two wins of 100th title as he turns 38

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Novak Djokovic marked his 38th birthday in style on Thursday, defeating Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 6-4 to reach the Geneva Open semi-finals and continue his pursuit of a 100th career title.

    The 24-time Grand Slam champion avenged last month’s Madrid Open loss to the Italian and will next face Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who rallied to defeat Australian Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

    “It’s great to be in the semi-finals again. Hopefully this year I can go at least a step further, that’s the goal,” said Djokovic, who lost to Tomas Machac in last year’s quarter-finals.

    “I think I’m playing really good tennis. A straight-sets win, but it was much closer than the score indicates.”

    After taking the first set, Djokovic trailed 4-1 in the second but stormed back with five consecutive games to seal the win in one hour and 40 minutes.

    The former world No. 1 admitted that smashing his racket in frustration helped him reset mentally and close out the match in straight sets.

    “After the racquet breaking I kind of found my optimal state and balance mentally and emotionally to be able to play my best tennis when it was most needed,” Djokovic, who was presented with a birthday cake on court, said.

    Djokovic is bidding to become only the third man in history to win 100 ATP titles, after Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103).

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Woman Loses Life Savings in Cryptocurrency Investment Scam

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 8,207,578 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at more than $8.2 million. USDT is a virtual currency which are digital tokens of value circulated over the internet. Its transactions are publicly recorded on what is known as a blockchain.

    According to court documents, the FBI has identified 33 victims of an investment fraud scheme across the country, including a victim from Northeast Ohio residing in the city of Mentor. In total, victims lost approximately $4.9 million. Five more accounts have also been found to be affected and the FBI is attempting to identify the respective owners. The victims associated with the additional accounts have lost approximately $1,071,086.

    Investigators found that scammers initially contacted the victims through seemingly misdirected, or “wrong number,” text messages. The fraudster then gained the victim’s trust and affection using various manipulative tactics. Once trust was established with the victim, the fraudster would share how much success they, or someone they knew, had with investing in cryptocurrency. This personal testimonial lessened any uncertainties the victims may have had about virtual currencies and eventually had the intended effect to persuade the victim to proceed with the investment.

    The fraudster would then guide the victim, step-by-step, on how to open a legitimate cryptocurrency account, most often with a U.S. based virtual currency exchange such as Crypto.com or Coinbase. The scammer would walk the victim through the entire process of transferring money from their bank to the newly created cryptocurrency account. Next, the victim received instructions on how to transfer the purchased cryptocurrency assets to an online “investment platform,” which would turn out to be a fake site created by the fraudsters to look like a legitimate company. Information on the platforms promised lucrative returns which encouraged victims to invest further. However, once the victim transferred their funds to the “investment platform” they unknowingly handed over complete control and ownership of their funds to the scammer. 

    The complaint also outlines that the perpetrators of such investment fraud schemes often allow victims to withdraw a portion of their “profits” early on in the scheme to build trust and reinforce their belief that the “investment platform” was legitimate. But as the scheme progressed, victims were unable to withdraw their funds and given excuses as to why they could not access their funds. For example, the fraudsters referred to a fake “tax” requirement, stating that taxes must be paid on the proceeds generated from the investment platform. Knowing that the scam would run its course soon, the fraudsters used last-ditch efforts to lie to victims that they had to pay a tax. Ultimately, victims were locked out of their account on the investment platform and lost their funds.

    A woman in Lake County, Ohio became the target of such a scam when she responded to a text on her phone from an unknown number in November 2023. She began sharing information via text with the person and the two bonded over topics such as hobbies and religion. Over a period of time, the victim followed instructions from her new “friend” and opened an account at Crypto.com and then transferred funds into the account. When the victim wanted to withdraw funds, her “friend,” relented and said additional payments were needed and she complied. When the victim no longer had any funds left after making additional payments, her “friend” began to threaten her that he would send his friends to “take care of” her friends and family. Having lost her entire life savings of approximately $663,352, including funds from her Roth IRA, the victim filed a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to report the losses in June 2024. The FBI Cleveland Division subsequently initiated an investigation.

    Investigators conducted a blockchain analysis and determined that a portion of the funds stolen from victims were converted to USDT cryptocurrency and placed into three cryptocurrency addresses. Law enforcement officers executed a federal seizure warrant to recover 8,207,578 USDT tokens, in November 2024. Tether Limited then transferred these funds to a law-enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet.

    By the Complaint in Forfeiture filed on Feb. 27, 2025, the United States seeks to forfeit the entire 8,207,578 USDT cryptocurrency. In the complaint, the United States alleges that the cryptocurrency accounts also contained additional funds above the victims’ traceable losses and, as proceeds of fraud, are also subject to forfeiture. Additionally, the complaint alleges that such other funds were involved in money laundering violations.     

    The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and the United States must prove these allegations by a preponderance of the evidence at trial.

    If successful in this forfeiture action, the United States would seek to return the stolen funds to the victims.

    The FBI Cleveland Division is actively investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States, including in the Northern District of Ohio. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford. The USAO would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in this matter.

    If you observe something that you believe might be fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.

    View Complaint:

    /usao-ndoh/media/1391461/dl?inline 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McAlester Resident Sentenced for Felony Assault

    Source: US FBI

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nathaniel Dewayne Meashintubby, age 42, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner by Strangling, Suffocating, or Attempting to Strangle or Suffocate.

    The charge arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On November 18, 2024, Meashintubby pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on March 10, 2024, Meashintubby assaulted the victim by suffocation, resulting in serious bodily injury.  The crime occurred in LeFlore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Meashintubby will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –