NewzIntel.com

Category: US Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Middle School Teacher Admits Child Pornography Charge

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

    ST. LOUIS – A former St. Louis County, Missouri middle school teacher on Wednesday admitted possessing hundreds of images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.

    Scott R. Ellis, 38, pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of child pornography. Ellis admitted possessing 72 images containing child abuse material on his cell phone and about 700 videos and more than 900 images in his Mega cloud storage account.

    The investigation began with two cyber tipline reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child pornography in Ellis’ Google account.

    Ellis is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

    The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Special Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Directs Suspension of Security Clearances and Evaluation of Government Contracts for Involvement in Government Weaponization

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    ADDRESSING THE WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum to suspend security clearances for Covington & Burling LLP employees involved in the weaponization of government, pending a review of their roles and responsibility in the weaponization of the judicial process. This action also initiates a comprehensive review of all Federal contracts with the firm to ensure alignment with the interests of the American people.  
    Security clearances held by Peter Koski and potential other members of Covington & Burling LLP who assisted former Special Counsel Jack Smith will be suspended, pending a review of their roles and responsibility in the weaponization of the judicial process.
    The Federal Government will review and terminate engagement of Covington & Burling LLP by the United States to the maximum extent permitted by law.
    All contracts with Covington & Burling LLP will undergo a detailed evaluation to ensure agency funding decisions align with American citizens’ interests and the priorities of this Administration, as detailed in executive directives.

    PRIORITIZING CITIZENS OVER PARTISAN GAMES: President Trump remains steadfast in his commitment to restoring trust in government by ensuring that public resources and privileges are not exploited for political gain.
    Individuals who hold government-issued security clearances bear a responsibility to uphold impartiality and the national interest. These privileges should not be leveraged to interfere in U.S. elections or advance partisan objectives.
    Covington & Burling LLP provided former Special Counsel Jack Smith with $140,000 in free legal services prior to his resignation from the Department of Justice.
    Jack Smith and his staff spent more than $50 million in taxpayer dollars to target President Trump—an egregious misuse of judicial authority for political ends and part of the prior administration’s unprecedented weaponization of prosecutorial power to upend the democratic process.

    A RETURN TO ACCOUNTABILITY: President Trump is sending a clear message that the Federal Government will no longer tolerate the abuse of power by partisan actors who exploit their positions for political gain.
    President Trump is refocusing government operations to its core mission – serving the citizens of the United States.  
    President Trump revoked security clearances held by dozens of intelligence officials who falsely claimed in a 2020 letter, during the height of the U.S. presidential election season, that Hunter Biden’s laptop was tantamount to Russian disinformation.
    President Trump signed an Executive Order to end the weaponization of the Federal Government on his first day in office after promising to “end forever the weaponization of government and the abuse of law enforcement against political opponents.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minneapolis Non-Profit Executive and Business Consultant Plead Guilty in $6 Million Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis non-profit executive and business consultant pleaded guilty to leading a scheme to defraud a number of federal, state, local, private programs and other sources of funding, resulting in a loss of over $6 million, and also to illegally possessing a firearm after a felony, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, from 2020 until 2024, Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, 28, engaged in a fraud scheme through two Minneapolis-based entities he founded and controlled:  a marketing company he owned, Futuristic Management LLC, and a non-profit organization he led, Encouraging Leaders.  

    Encouraging Leaders, under Champion’s direction, submitted at least 42 grant and public-contract applications with related follow-up correspondence containing material false misrepresentations, in order to obtain funding.  Fraudulent applications were submitted to the U.S Department of Justice, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Center for Disease Control Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Otto Bremer Trust, the Greater Twin Cities United Way, and others. False statements included false rosters of Encouraging Leaders’ board of directions; false assertions that Encouraging Leaders had been independently audited; false claims that certain local governments, companies, and community organizations had agreed to partner with Encouraging Leaders; requests for payment based on overstated hours of work; and false claims that Encouraging Leaders administered events that either never occurred or were organized by others. Champion misused significant portions of the funds that Encouraging Leaders received in response to the applications, for example by transferring funds to himself and using organizational funds for personal matters. Based on the fraudulent applications, Encouraging Leaders sought more than $3.8 million in funding through 42 grants, was awarded 27 grants for more than $2.7 million in funding. Encouraging Leaders actually received approximately $1.5 million in funding as part of the scheme.

    Through Futuristic Management, Champion recruited and assisted clients in submitting fraudulent applications to Hennepin County’s Small Business Relief grant program as well as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs. The applications dramatically overstated applicant incomes and expenses, and were supported by fake tax records and fake lease documents that Champion obtained.  Champion also submitted nine fraudulent applications on his own behalf.  Simultaneously, Champion defrauded Hennepin County, for whom his company was serving as a business advisor under the County’s Elevate Business program. As part of the program, Champion agreed to provide free marketing services to local small businesses. But rather than provide free services, Champion billed and received payments from the County for services for which he had already been paid by his clients. Many of these clients were the same businesses and individuals Champion had assisted with false PPP, EIDL, and SBR applications.  Champion also used his company to fraudulently obtain loans marketed by PayPal Business Loan and issued by WebBank.  In the PayPal applications, Champion overstated his company’s gross sales and attached fake Wells Fargo bank statements inflating his bank balances and deposits.  In total, the part of the scheme relating to Futuristic Management resulted in a loss of more than $2.1 million.

    During the investigation of Champion’s offenses, law enforcement searched Champion’s home.  Officers found Futuristic Management financial records, a safe containing $127,000 in U.S. currency, and a Ruger LCR .357 revolver with Champion’s DNA on it.  Due to a 2018 conviction in Hennepin County for second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, Champion is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

    Champion pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court yesterday before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon.  Champion agreed to pay restitution of at least $3,479,575 to the victims of his offenses. Earlier this month, Champion’s co-defendant Marcus A. Hamilton pleaded guilty to participating in the Futuristic Management part of the scheme. Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department’s Special Crimes Investigations Division.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes and Joseph H. Thompson are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Lofgren Ask DOJ to Investigate United Kingdom Notice to Apple Threatening U.S. Cybersecurity Interests

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Lofgren Ask DOJ to Investigate United Kingdom Notice to Apple Threatening U.S. Cybersecurity Interests

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18) requested that the Department of Justice (DOJ) review the United Kingdom’s recently reported notice that would provide the British government access to Apple iCloud users’ protected data and could severely limit Apple’s ability to offer encrypted iCloud backups around the world. The lawmakers asked DOJ to investigate whether the United Kingdom may have breached the terms of the U.S.-U.K. Agreement on Access to Electronic Data for the Purpose of Countering Serious Crime and that DOJ reevaluate the United Kingdom’s eligibility for an agreement under the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act. The CLOUD Act allows select foreign governments to seek data directly from U.S. technology companies for the investigation and prosecution of crimes without individualized review by the U.S. government.
    The U.K.’s notice reportedly requires Apple to weaken the encryption of its entire global iCloud backup service and give the U.K. government the “blanket capability” to access customers’ data in plaintext. Reports further suggest the U.K. believes its notice applies not just domestically to U.K. companies, but across borders with global effect. The U.K. law could conflict with the laws and public policy of other jurisdictions, intrude on the rights of people across the globe, and significantly hamper the United States’ ability to make sure American companies follow responsible cybersecurity practices. Last week, Apple announced the company can no longer offer encrypted cloud backup in the U.K. to new users, and that current U.K. users would eventually need to disable this security feature.
    “If these press reports are true, they necessitate the Department of Justice’s review of its approval of the U.K. as a qualifying nation under the CLOUD Act, and whether the notice may violate or otherwise be inconsistent with U.S. law and public policy, as well as with the Agreement,” wrote the lawmakers.
    “Encryption is also acknowledged by all to be a critical means to secure information systems essential to the national security and economy of our country,” added the lawmakers. “… It is difficult to see the U.K.’s notice to Apple, if the reports are accurate, as anything less than an action that undermines U.S. law, public policy, and information security by requiring U.S. companies to take such reckless action as undermining encryption for all users globally.”
    “Therefore, given the U.K.’s reported conduct, and Congress’s important oversight role in these matters, we respectfully request that the DOJ conduct a review of the U.K.’s compliance with the statutory requirements of the CLOUD Act and the terms of the Agreement, taking into account the factual predicates behind the CLOUD Act, the sovereign interests of the U.S. in regulating the conduct of U.S. companies, and cybersecurity public policy imperatives,” continued the lawmakers. “This review is essential to ensure that agreements under the CLOUD Act uphold the privacy, security, and human rights standards that Congress set in enacting the CLOUD Act and will inform Congress as to whether statutory reforms are necessary to protect these strong U.S. interests.”
    In the 2018 CLOUD Act, Congress enacted one of the first significant changes in decades to U.S. law governing cross-border access by law enforcement to electronic communications held by private companies. CLOUD Act agreements remove legal restrictions on certain foreign nations’ ability to seek data directly from U.S. providers in cases involving “serious crimes,” provided that the data requests do not target U.S. persons, and so long as the Executive Branch has determined that the foreign nation’s laws adequately protect privacy and civil liberties, among other requirements. The CLOUD Act also gives Congress the power to prevent a proposed executive agreement from entering into force through expedited congressional review provisions after the agreement certifications are provided by the DOJ.
    The United Kingdom received the first CLOUD Act agreement in 2019, which went into force in 2022. These agreements are authorized for five years, and the U.K. agreement was renewed in November 2024.
    Notably, U.S. cybersecurity officials have urged Americans to use encrypted services to protect their communications, including in the wake of recent significant cybersecurity compromises, such as China’s Salt Typhoon operation attacking AT&T and Verizon’s systems.
    The lawmakers also asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to respond to additional questions regarding the U.K.’s concerning notice by March 5, 2025.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to seek the Department of Justice’s views on whether the United Kingdom (U.K.) may have breached or otherwise acted inconsistently with the terms or spirit of the U.S.-U.K.’s Agreement on Access to Electronic Data for the Purpose of Countering Serious Crime (“Agreement”) authorized by the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (“CLOUD Act”).
    According to press reports, the U.K.’s Home Secretary served Apple, a major U.S. technology firm, with a secret technical capabilities notice (“Notice”) last month. This notice reportedly requires the U.S. company to weaken the encryption of its entire global iCloud backup service and give the U.K. government the “blanket capability” to access customers’ data in plaintext. Reports further suggest the U.K. believes its notice applies not just domestically to U.K. companies, but across borders with global effect. As reported, the U.K. law is no mere domestic law and could conflict with the laws and public policy of other jurisdictions, intrude on the rights of far more people than just U.K. citizens, and significantly affect U.S. interests in ensuring U.S. companies follow responsible cybersecurity practices. Last week, Apple announced the company can no longer offer encrypted cloud backup in the U.K. to new users, and that current U.K. users would eventually need to disable this security feature, giving rise to the inference that the U.K. did indeed issue a notice to Apple, as reported. Apple is reportedly prohibited from acknowledging that it received such a notice, which limits Congressional oversight into the matter, including the extent to which the U.K. is asserting its authority over U.S. persons and entities outside of the U.K.
    If these press reports are true, they necessitate the Department of Justice’s review of its approval of the U.K. as a qualifying nation under the CLOUD Act, and whether the notice may violate or otherwise be inconsistent with U.S. law and public policy, as well as with the Agreement.
    The case made for the CLOUD Act rested on the argument, asserted by U.K. officials in hearings before Congress and elsewhere, that without it, the U.K. would not be able to reach providers under U.S. jurisdiction to assist in investigating serious crime without those providers violating U.S. law. As you know, relying on these representations, Congress authorized the DOJ via the CLOUD Act to form an executive agreement with qualifying jurisdictions, which would partially lift the U.S. legal prohibitions on providers voluntarily honoring foreign legal process. The Attorney General, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, must determine and submit a written certification to Congress that the criteria set out in the CLOUD Act have been met. The certification must also include an explanation of each of the statutory considerations.
    Section 2523(b)(3) of Title 18 emphasizes that agreements must not create an obligation that providers be capable of decrypting data. While the statute does not say that a qualifying jurisdiction is barred from adopting laws that undermine encryption, the U.K.’s notice to Apple has the effect of extending to U.K. disclosure demands made under the Agreement the obligation to decrypt. This obligation would not exist but for the fact that the Agreement effectively removes the bar to disclosure on which Apple would otherwise rely in refusing to make the disclosure. It splits the finest of hairs to say that because the Agreement itself does not contain an obligation to decrypt that a CLOUD Act country can impose such an obligation on a U.S. provider, issue disclosure orders under the Agreement that rely on such obligation, and impose penalties for non-disclosure when compliance with such orders is refused.
    Notably, there is no obligation under U.S. law to require a provider subject to U.S. jurisdiction to take the actions reportedly required by the U.K. notice. Encryption is also acknowledged by all to be a critical means to secure information systems essential to the national security and economy of our country. In the wake of recent significant cybersecurity compromises, such as the Salt Typhoon hack, U.S. officials have encouraged the adoption of encrypted communications. It is difficult to see the U.K.’s notice to Apple, if the reports are accurate, as anything less than an action that undermines U.S. law, public policy, and information security by requiring U.S. companies to take such reckless action as undermining encryption for all users globally.
    In addition, to qualify for an agreement with the U.S. and gain the benefits of streamlined enforcement, section 2523(b)(1)(B)(v) of Title 18 requires the foreign government’s domestic surveillance law to have sufficient accountability and transparency. The complete secrecy surrounding this matter suggests serious cause for concern that this requirement is being violated by the U.K. Gagging the recipient of such a notice to disclose its effect to its users – or even to the U.S. government – seems inconsistent with the commitment to transparency on which the certification of the Agreement in part rests.
    These agreements are a product of legislation passed by the Congress. The statute contemplates Congress continuing to play a significant role in the agreements signed between the United States and foreign governments. As you know, the CLOUD Act gives Congress the power to prevent a proposed executive agreement from entering into force through expedited congressional review provisions after the certifications are provided by the Department.
    Therefore, given the U.K.’s reported conduct, and Congress’s important oversight role in these matters, we respectfully request that the DOJ conduct a review of the U.K.’s compliance with the statutory requirements of the CLOUD Act and the terms of the Agreement, taking into account the factual predicates behind the CLOUD Act, the sovereign interests of the U.S. in regulating the conduct of U.S. companies, and cybersecurity public policy imperatives. This review is essential to ensure that agreements under the CLOUD Act uphold the privacy, security, and human rights standards that Congress set in enacting the CLOUD Act and will inform Congress as to whether statutory reforms are necessary to protect these strong U.S. interests.
    In addition to your broader review, we ask that you respond in writing to the following questions:
    1. Was the Department of Justice or anyone in the Trump Administration notified of, or consulted about, the U.K. Home Secretary’s Notice? And if so, by what means and when?
    2. Is the Department of Justice aware of the issuance of such a Notice to any other U.S. tech company respecting an encrypted service offered by such company, or of any plans by the U.K. government to issue such a Notice to any other U.S. tech company with respect to an encrypted service?
    3. What is the Department’s view on whether the U.K.’s Notice is evidence that the domestic authorities under the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act may be inconsistent with the statutory criteria required of the CLOUD Act?
    4. What is the Department’s view as to whether because of the U.K.’s Notice or the nontransparent nature of its issuance, the DOJ should reassess the U.K. as a qualifying foreign government for purposes of the CLOUD Act?
    5. What is the Department’s view on the imposition of extraterritorial regulations by a foreign government on U.S. providers that are contrary to U.S. law or public policy?
    6. In its report to Congress accompanying the renewal of the U.S.-U.K. CLOUD Act Agreement in November 2024, the DOJ stated that it had “taken the opportunity of this determination to remind the U.K. of the statute’s requirements that the terms of the Agreement shall not create any obligation that providers be capable of decrypting data or limitation that prevents providers from decrypting data.” Please share with whom the DOJ met, what specifically was communicated, and whether the DOJ considered whether the U.K.’s use of its Investigatory Powers Act might undermine U.S. interests.
    7. Has the DOJ taken any steps to protect U.S. interests as contemplated by the CLOUD Act and the Agreement before or since the reports became public?
    8. If Apple were to comply with the Notice as initially reported: (a) could the U.K. obtain U.S. person data, which would have been encrypted absent compliance with the Notice, through means other than the CLOUD Act, and (b) could other jurisdictions obtain data, which would have been encrypted, absent compliance with the Notice?
    We appreciate your timely attention to this serious matter and welcome hearing your response by March 5, 2025.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tajik National Arrested in Brooklyn for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS

    Source: US State of California

    Mansuri Manuchekhri, 33, of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, was arrested today for allegedly conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and to the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), possessing firearms while unlawfully in the United States, and immigration fraud. Manuchekhri was arrested today and made his initial appearance this afternoon in the Eastern District of New York.

    “Under no circumstances will my Department of Justice tolerate terrorism,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We stand ready to find, arrest, and prosecute those who seek to harm American citizens with the full force of the law. I stand with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who work to keep Americans safe and evil off our streets.” 

    “The defendant allegedly supported ISIS and sent thousands of dollars overseas to individuals connected to ISIS,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI is focused on preventing acts of terrorism and ISIS has a long and violent record of harming U.S. citizens. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to find and hold accountable those who assist terrorists and endanger the safety of Americans at home or abroad.”

    “The Justice Department will relentlessly pursue those who fund and support terrorists,” said Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will not allow our immigration or financial systems to be exploited. Our country will not be a safe haven for those who try to harm Americans.”

    “As alleged, the defendant facilitated thousands of dollars in contributions to ISIS extremists overseas,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “Protecting the homeland and prosecuting evildoers who assist terrorist organizations by funding their violent and hateful agenda, here and abroad, will always be a priority of this office.”   

    As alleged in the complaint, Manuchekhri traveled to the United States from Tajikistan in June 2016 on a non-immigrant tourist visa and remained in the country after his visa expired in December 2016. In March 2017, Manuchekhri paid an American citizen to enter into a sham marriage with him so that he could obtain legal status in the United States. However, he failed to provide supporting documentation that was requested of him and his petition was never granted. 

    As alleged in the complaint, Manuchekhri traveled to the United States from Tajikistan in June 2016 on a non-immigrant tourist visa and remained in the country after his visa expired in December 2016. In March 2017, Manuchekhri paid an American citizen to enter into a sham marriage with him so that he could obtain legal status in the United States. However, he failed to provide supporting documentation that was requested of him and his petition was never granted.

    From approximately December 2021 through April 2023, while residing in Brooklyn, Manuchekhri facilitated more than $50,000 in payments to ISIS-affiliated individuals in Turkey and Syria, including to an individual who was later arrested by Turkish authorities for his alleged involvement in a January 2024 terrorist attack on a church in Istanbul for which ISIS-K publicly claimed responsibility. Manuchekhri expressed his support for ISIS to others by praising past ISIS attacks in the United States and by collecting jihadi propaganda videos promoting violence and martyrdom.

    The complaint further alleges that Manuchekhri possessed and used firearms and made frequent visits to shooting ranges even though he was prohibited from doing so as an alien unlawfully in the United States. In February 2022, Manuchekhri recorded himself firing an assault rifle at a shooting range in New Jersey and sent the video to one of the ISIS-affiliated individuals in Turkey with the message, “Praise God, I am ready, brother.”

    If convicted, Manuchekhri faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert M. Pollack and Andrew D. Reich for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys John Cella, Andrea Broach, George Kraehe, and Ryan White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialist Wayne Colón.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Double Murder and Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer on the Colville Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on February 26, 2025, Zachary L. Holt, age 24, and Dezmonique D. Tenzsley (a/k/a “Privilege”), age 36, were sentenced on seventeen counts including Felony Murder in Indian Country, Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer, Assault of a Federal Officer, Attempted Robbery in Indian Country, Robbery Affecting Commerce, as well as several firearm offenses. Holt also was sentenced for First-Degree Murder in Indian Country and Murder Resulting from Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Holt and Tenzsley were convicted of these crimes on November 25, 2024, following a jury trial. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced both men to life in prison, which was the mandatory sentence for Holt and Tenzsley’s crimes.

    “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and numerous federal agencies came together to secure some measure of justice on behalf of the victims in this case,” stated Acting United States Attorney Barker, who served as a lead counsel on the case from the start. “This was a complicated investigation and trial, involving nearly sixty witnesses.  The U.S. Attorneys Office would not have been able to present this case without the sacrifices of our incredible law enforcement team.” 

    According to court documents and information disclosed at trial and sentencing, Holt and Tenzsley went on a six-week crime spree that began in September 2022 in Northern Idaho and continued until the Defendants’ arrests in Eastern Washington on October 21, 2022. Over these six weeks, Defendants Holt and Tenzsley committed home invasions as well as a robbery in Northern Idaho, and then took their firearms and much of the stolen property into Eastern Washington, where they shot and killed Gale and Jeremy Neal at roughly 4:21 p.m. on October 20, 2022, in Keller, Washington. Gale and Jeremy Neal were shot twice inside their trailer during a failed robbery. Eyewitnesses described three armed men wearing masks, who arrived at the trailer in a red sedan. Surveillance video presented at trial showed the red sedan arrive at about 4:19 p.m. and depart two minutes and ten seconds later, at 4:21 p.m., just moments after the murder.

    Approximately 30 minutes before the murders, Holt and Tenzsley were driving on a dirt road in the Keller area. Holt, who was speeding, swerved to miss a school bus, causing Holt’s vehicle to roll over into a ditch. Minutes later, Holt’s brother, Curry Pinkham, pulled up in the red sedan to give both Holt and Tenzsley a ride.  Just before getting into the car, Holt and Tenzsley moved several firearms – including the murder weapon – and thousands of rounds of ammunition out of the crashed car and into the red sedan – a 2007 Toyota Camry.

    Testimony at trial established that Holt was upset about wrecking his car and demanded that Pinkham take them to a location where they could get more drugs and find someone to rob. Pinkham agreed to drive Holt to the home of a known drug dealer in the Keller area.

    When Holt, Tenzsley, and Pinkham arrived at the residence of the known drug dealer, Holt and Tenzsley put on rubber gloves and masks. Holt, Tenzsley and Pinkham then grabbed firearms out of the red sedan. Rather than go to the main residence, where the purported drug dealer lived, Holt and Tenzsley walked to the back of the property, where Gale Neal’s trailer was located. As Holt and Tenzsley approached, Jeremy Neal came to the door of the trailer. Holt immediately began demanding Neal’s money and property.  Moments later, Holt fired two shots, killing Jeremy Neal. Holt then turned to Gale Neal, who leaned back into the couch in fear, and fired two more shots, killing Gale. Throughout, Tenzsley was standing guard, armed with a shotgun and his face covered by a mask.

    After the robbery and murder, and while law enforcement was responding to the scene, Tenzsley, Holt, and Pinkham drove towards Nespelem, Washington. As Pinkham was driving the getaway car, Holt fired several additional shots – this time at law enforcement, who was attempting stop the red Camry. During the chase, a Colville Tribal Police Sergeant, who was cross-deputized as a federal officer, was hit in the forearm.  Several additional bullets hit the Sergeant’s patrol vehicle. After shooting the first officer, Holt opened fire at a second Colville Tribal Police Officer, who also had attempted to stop the red sedan. Evidence at trial established that Tenzsley reloaded firearm magazines as Holt continued to fire at law enforcement to evade apprehension after murdering the Neals.

    When Holt, Tenzsley, and Pinkham later arrived in the Nespelem area, the three men tried to hide the getaway car under a tarp and fled on foot. They also hid their firearms and ammunition throughout the Nespelem area. When Holt and Tenzsley were finally apprehended the next day, Tenzsley gave a false name.  Holt got into fist fight with a concerned citizen, who had called the police just prior to Holt’s arrest.

    During the investigation into the murders of Jeremy and Gale Neal, Tribal and federal law enforcement identified a series of other crimes that Holt and Tenzsley committed as part of their six-week crime spree and conspiracy. On September 3, 2022, Holt and Tenzsley robbed and severely assaulted a man at gunpoint inside his trailer in Latah County, Idaho. The pair stole ammunition, gun parts, the victim’s car keys, and a safe containing the title to the victim’s camper trailer. As Holt and Tenzsley were fleeing the robbery scene, they exchanged fire with the robbery victim.

    Additional evidence established that on October 12, 2022, Holt and Tenzsley, who again were both armed, invaded two homes and assaulted multiple victims on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho. The evidence at trial showed that Holt and Tenzsley were again looking for someone to rob when they committed these assaults.  During the second home invasion that evening, Holt and Tenzsley shot a dog in the face on the Nez Perce Reservation. Fortunately, the dog survived the gunshot.

    In the days immediately after the Lapwai, Idaho assaults, Holt and Tenzsley traveled to Keller, Washington – leading to the tragic deaths of Gale and Jeremy Neal, as well as the attempted murder of one federal officer and the assault of another.  The firearm used in the shooting on the Nez Perce Reservation was the same gun Holt and Tenzsley used during the Neal murders, as well as the attempted murder and assault of the two federal officers.

    “On October 20, 2022, these defendants tragically destroyed too many lives to count.  They killed two innocent members of the Colville Tribe, permanently injured a dedicated Tribal officer, and opened fire at another officer,” Acting United States Attorney Barker added.  “On the day of these senseless crimes, the entire Nespelem community was in lock down, while Tribal and federal police sought to apprehend Mr. Holt and Mr. Tenzsley. The community then rallied in typical Colville fashion to support the investigation and prosecution of those responsible. Similarly, the Nez Perce Reservation’s Tribal Police Department was instrumental in bringing the Defendants to justice for the criminal conspiracy that began in Northern Idaho.”   

    Acting U.S. Attorney Barker continued, “The subsequent investigation involved numerous witness interviews across three Tribal communities in two states, dozens of search warrants, extensive forensic testing by the Washington State Patrol, voluminous legal filings, and numerous meetings with victims and their families. In the end, our entire district came together to seek justice for the Neal family and the officers, who were shot and nearly killed. Without our state, local, and Tribal partnerships, as well as every member of my office, the outcome of this case and investigation could have gone much differently. I am particularly grateful for the incredible team of victim advocates, litigation technology specialists, legal support staff, and Assistant United States Attorneys, who worked tirelessly on this case.  Our team shows up every day to help keep our communities, neighborhoods, and reservations safe, and this case is just one example of the amazing things our office is able to accomplish.”   

    The Chairman of the Colville Tribes, Jarred Michael Erickson, said, “These events were incredibly disruptive to the Colville community. People died and their neighbors had to grapple with shock, grief, and fear as these despicable crimes unfolded. It is extremely gratifying to see justice done today as these murderers will spend the rest of their lives in prison. Criminals everywhere must understand that if they commit their crimes on the Colville Reservation, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    Chairman Erickson continued, “Our Colville Tribal Police reacted to this crisis with incredible bravery and professionalism. The murderers shot at two Colville officers as the officers attempted to apprehend them, and seriously injured one officer when they shot him in the forearm. As the Colville police continued to work with other law enforcement agencies throughout the investigation and eventual arrest of these felons, Det. McNulty and Chief Brown distinguished themselves with their efforts to bring these killers to justice. The Colville Tribes is grateful for the efforts of every individual and non-tribal agency that assisted in this case, but we especially want to thank Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker, who worked as lead counsel on this case through trial. Richard and his office have been friends and partners to the Colville Tribes for many years now. It is an understatement to say we greatly appreciate the effort and skill the U.S. Attorney’s office devoted to prosecuting this case, and for the work they do every day to keep our community safe.”

    “The ruthless violence Mr. Holt and Mr. Tenzsley displayed will not be tolerated and demonstrates that prison is where they belong. Communities across Idaho and Eastern Washington will be safer with them there.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “It is fortunate more people were not injured or worse by these two dangerous criminals. I am grateful to the courageous officers who were able to apprehend them and to the investigators who put an end to their crime spree and held them accountable for their violent actions.”

    “This case is a prime example of how interagency cooperation between state, city, county, tribal, and federal partners can lead to communities being kept safe and take criminals off the street,” stated Latah County Sheriff Richard Skiles. “I would personally like to thank our Detective Corporal Ryan Weaver for his exemplary work on this case. I would also like to thank the United States Department of Justice for their relentless prosecution of this case and keeping all local law enforcement agencies involved in this case. Justice has been served.”

    This case was investigated by the Colville Tribal Police Department, the FBI, the FBI’s Salish Safe Trails Task Force, Latah County Sherif’s Office, Nez Perce Tribal Police Department, Idaho State Patrol, Spokane Tribal Police Department, Kalispel Tribal Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Okanogan Sheriff’s Office, Ephrata Police Department, Soap Lake Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the Washington State Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker, Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis, and Contractor Echo D. Fatsis.

    2:22-cr-00157-TOR

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Ossoff Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Curb Prison Contraband

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) today introduced bipartisan legislation to stem the flow of contraband in federal prisons. The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act would enhance safety and accountability measures in federal prisons by upgrading the penalty for smuggling or possessing a contraband cellphone in federal prison from a misdemeanor to a felony.
    “Contraband cellphones are a deadly and pervasive problem in many of our nation’s federal prisons. Stiffening penalties for cellphone smuggling will go a long way to improve our prison system and keep inmates, prison staff, and the general public safe,” Grassley said.
    “My bipartisan investigations of corruption, abuse, and misconduct in the federal prison system have revealed systemic challenges that allow for the dangerous flow of contraband, which is a threat to safety and security,” Ossoff said. “Senator Grassley and I are introducing this bipartisan bill to strengthen penalties for smuggling contraband into federal prisons.”
    “[I] offer my strong support for the Lt. Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act, which you are planning to introduce into the 119th Congress. The fact that this bill now makes it a felony instead of a misdemeanor is something that is not only providing some justice for my husband’s sacrifice, but also provides just and proper consequences for a crime that clearly rises to the level of a felony,” said Helen Andujar Albarati, wife of fallen Lietenant Osvaldo Albarati.
    “Congress must act now and pass the Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act before another staff member is killed in the line of duty because of contraband cellphones. The safety of our corrections officers and the security of our prisons depend on it,” said Jon Zumkehr, President of the American Federation of Government Employees 4070.
    “A cell phone in a prison is a deadly weapon. Lieutenant Albarati was a true hero, selflessly dedicated to making MDC Guaynabo and his community safer by preventing criminal activity inside the facility. I commend Senators Grassley and Ossoff for honoring his memory by sponsoring this public safety reform and for recognizing the severity of this problem,” said Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz said. 
    The legislation is cosponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee member Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
    Download bill text HERE.
    Background:
    The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act builds on the 2010 Grassley-Feinstein Cell Phone Contraband Act, which originally designated cellphones as contraband in federal prison.
    Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati was a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer who was murdered 12 years ago today, on February 26, 2013, after completing his shift at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Five men who later pleaded guilty to the crime admitted they targeted Albarati in retaliation for seizing their contraband, including cellphones. The inmate who placed the hit on Albarati did so using a contraband cellphone.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former School District Employee Charged with Using AI Technology to Produce Sexual Abuse Images of Children in his Care, and Possession and Receipt of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Defendant William Michael Haslach, 30, a former employee of Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale) and ISD #834 (Stillwater), has been charged with receipt and possession of child pornography as well as production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. 

    According to court documents, defendant Haslach, of Maplewood, Minnesota, occupied several positions of trust with children.  From August 2021 until January 2025, Haslach, 30, served as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale).  From 2021 through 2024, Haslach also served as a paraprofessional and later as a youth summer programs assistant for Independent School District #834 (Stillwater).  Haslach used his access to children to take non-explicit photos of children in his care.  Haslach then used those images to produce morphed/AI photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. As detailed in the indictment, Haslach also possessed and received child pornography involving children that were abused by others.  

    “Prosecuting the predators who walk amongst us—in our neighborhoods, our communities, and particularly in our schools—will always be the top priority in the District of Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “My thoughts are with the many Minnesota parents who will be horrified to learn how Haslach used AI advances to victimize schoolchildren in his care. Rest assured, my office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”  

    “Every child is entitled to a secure upbringing, and this case highlights the powerful collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in their mission to safeguard them,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cybert, U.S. Secret Service – Minneapolis Field Office. 

    The federal indictment charges Haslach with five counts of receipt of child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse. Haslach made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Judge Tony N. Leung.  He was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing on Monday, March 3, before Judge Douglas L. Micko.

    Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. If your child has been in close contact with Haslach, and/or if you or your child is aware of Haslach taking a photo of your child, please contact the Minnesota BCA’s Tip Line at 651-793-2465 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.

    If you are a parent of a child that has at any point been under the care of Haslach, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has set up a website to provide you with resources and further information about this case: www.justice.gov/usao-mn/haslach-child-exploitation-case-school-district-employee-0

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

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Maplewood Police Department. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Baumel is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former School District Employee Charged with Using AI Technology to Produce Sexual Abuse Images of Children in his Care, and Possession and Receipt of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Defendant William Michael Haslach, 30, a former employee of Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale) and ISD #834 (Stillwater), has been charged with receipt and possession of child pornography as well as production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. 

    According to court documents, defendant Haslach, of Maplewood, Minnesota, occupied several positions of trust with children.  From August 2021 until January 2025, Haslach, 30, served as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale).  From 2021 through 2024, Haslach also served as a paraprofessional and later as a youth summer programs assistant for Independent School District #834 (Stillwater).  Haslach used his access to children to take non-explicit photos of children in his care.  Haslach then used those images to produce morphed/AI photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. As detailed in the indictment, Haslach also possessed and received child pornography involving children that were abused by others.  

    “Prosecuting the predators who walk amongst us—in our neighborhoods, our communities, and particularly in our schools—will always be the top priority in the District of Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “My thoughts are with the many Minnesota parents who will be horrified to learn how Haslach used AI advances to victimize schoolchildren in his care. Rest assured, my office will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”  

    “Every child is entitled to a secure upbringing, and this case highlights the powerful collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in their mission to safeguard them,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cybert, U.S. Secret Service – Minneapolis Field Office. 

    The federal indictment charges Haslach with five counts of receipt of child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse. Haslach made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Judge Tony N. Leung.  He was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing on Monday, March 3, before Judge Douglas L. Micko.

    Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. If your child has been in close contact with Haslach, and/or if you or your child is aware of Haslach taking a photo of your child, please contact the Minnesota BCA’s Tip Line at 651-793-2465 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.
    If you are a parent of a child that has at any point been under the care of Haslach, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has set up a website to provide you with resources and further information about this case:  

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

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Maplewood Police Department. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Baumel is prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Pam Bondi Dismisses DEI Lawsuits Involving Police Officers and Firefighters, Advances President Trump’s Mandate to End Illegal DEI Policies

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    This week, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to dismiss lawsuits against various jurisdictions across the country involving the hiring of police officers and firefighters. These lawsuits, launched by the previous administration, unjustly targeted fire and police departments for using standard aptitude tests to screen firefighter and police officer candidates.

    “American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas,” said Attorney General Bondi.

    Despite no evidence of intentional discrimination — only statistical disparities — the prior administration branded the aptitude tests at issue in these cases as discriminatory in an effort to advance a DEI agenda. And it sought to coerce cities into conducting DEI-based hiring in response and spending millions of dollars in taxpayer funds for payouts to previous applicants who had scored lower on the tests, regardless of qualifications.

    President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity nationwide, and in all sectors. But doing so is particularly important for front-line public-safety workers who protect our nation, including firefighters and police officers. Prioritizing DEI over merit when selecting firefighters and police officers jeopardizes public safety.

    Today’s dismissal is an early step toward eradicating illegal DEI preferences across the government and in the private sector. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pam Bondi Dismisses DEI Lawsuits Involving Police Officers and Firefighters, Advances President Trump’s Mandate to End Illegal DEI Policies

    Source: United States Attorneys General 2

    This week, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to dismiss lawsuits against various jurisdictions across the country involving the hiring of police officers and firefighters. These lawsuits, launched by the previous administration, unjustly targeted fire and police departments for using standard aptitude tests to screen firefighter and police officer candidates.

    “American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas,” said Attorney General Bondi.

    Despite no evidence of intentional discrimination — only statistical disparities — the prior administration branded the aptitude tests at issue in these cases as discriminatory in an effort to advance a DEI agenda. And it sought to coerce cities into conducting DEI-based hiring in response and spending millions of dollars in taxpayer funds for payouts to previous applicants who had scored lower on the tests, regardless of qualifications.

    President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity nationwide, and in all sectors. But doing so is particularly important for front-line public-safety workers who protect our nation, including firefighters and police officers. Prioritizing DEI over merit when selecting firefighters and police officers jeopardizes public safety.

    Today’s dismissal is an early step toward eradicating illegal DEI preferences across the government and in the private sector. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Ashland Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Ashland, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for the sexual exploitation of a child.

    Scott Alan Barker, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Tuesday, Feb. 25, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Barker to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration. Barker will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

    On Aug. 8, 2024, Barker pleaded guilty to producing child pornography.

    The investigation began on July 11, 2023, when federal agents received a video recovered by law enforcement in the United Kingdom from the device of a suspect in their own investigation. The video portrayed a man (later identified as Barker) with an approximately 1-year-old child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The child sex abuse video was traced to Barker and, on July 17, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Barker’s residence.

    Agents observed and photographed the interior of the home, which matched the background of the child sex abuse video. Barker admitted to using online live video chat webpages to chat with adults in a sexually explicit manner.

    According to court documents, Barker was video chatting online with an individual he knew as “Emma Long.” In reality, “Emma Long” was an online persona used by an adult male to encourage male children to expose themselves and where possible involve younger male friends or family to sexually assault. Using this persona, the adult male would also encourage adults to abuse children in their care. The adult male manipulated images and videos of a female to appear live to the end user, so they believed they were talking to a 17-year-old female. He also used a video of a 5-year-old being sexually abused, stating it was “Emma Long’s” sister.

    Barker admitted the video obtained by law enforcement showed him engaged in a sexual act with the child victim while video chatting with this individual, whom he believed to be a teenage girl.

    Additionally, during a forensic analysis of Barker’s cell phone, investigators found several videos that depicted him covertly using the iPhone camera to record young women underneath their skirts or dresses. He is seen recording these videos in Mobile, Alabama, at an awards dinner for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Tennis Championships, at Disney World Park in Orlando, Florida, and at public retail stores in Jefferson City, Columbia, Chesterfield, and St. Louis, Mo.

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

    Project Safe Childhood

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Lexington Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, Sam Connor, Jr., 30, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to 180 months, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

    According to his plea agreement, on April 27, 2023, law enforcement officers received information that Connor was a possible supplier of fentanyl in Fayette County and had arranged a sale of 500 pills containing fentanyl.  Upon contacting Connor, law enforcement found a stolen firearm on his person, and Connor admitted to possessing drugs as well.  Officers then found a plastic bag on Connor’s person containing pressed fentanyl pills, and located an unloaded firearm and digital scales in his vehicle. 

     Connor admitted to being in possession of the firearm and knew that he had been convicted of a felony, robbery second degree in Fayette Circuit Court in 2015, and was prohibited from possessing the firearm. 

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

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; AJ Gibes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by ATF and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

    This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.  It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

    – END –

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Questions Trump’s Unfit Department of Justice Nominees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    WATCH: Padilla questions nominees Harmeet Dhillon, John Sauer, and Aaron Reitz on their alarming track recordsWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned three of President Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) nominees. The nominees before the Senate were John Sauer, to be Solicitor General of the United States, Harmeet Dhillon, to be Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, and Aaron Reitz, to be Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy.
    Padilla opened his questions with concerns over Republican DOJ nominees’ apparent willingness to disregard the rule of law and ignore court orders they disagree with.  
    “There’s been a number of Department of Justice nominees that have come before us, most, if not all, echoing over and over again, the respect for the Constitution, the commitment for the Constitution, a commitment to the rule of law, yet, when pressed about whether or not they would be loyal to the Constitution versus potential directives or decisions contrary to existing law in the Constitution, they don’t give strong answers, at least none that give us the comfort level that we, the American people, need and deserve.”
    Padilla also called out Harmeet Dhillon, a San Francisco-based lawyer nominated to lead the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, for her alarming track record of restricting the right to vote, spreading disinformation about the 2020 election, and perpetuating discriminatory laws. He also criticized Dhillon for her failed 2019 lawsuit against California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, alleging issues with the state’s motor voter program. An audit found no widespread voter fraud, and Dhillon’s lawsuit was unsuccessful, along with all of her other voting-related lawsuits brought against California while Senator Padilla was Secretary of State.
    “As a fellow Californian, I’ve seen your work closely. You’ve opposed key voting rights protections over the years, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. You fought against the use of [the] Voting Rights Act to challenge discriminatory laws. You’ve also spread disinformation about the 2020 election, and you’ve defended restrictive voting laws in multiple states. … How can you convince us that, based on this track record, that you would equally enforce, fairly enforce voting rights through the Department of Justice?”
    Padilla also pressed Solicitor General nominee John Sauer, Missouri’s former Solicitor General, on President Trump’s unlawful Executive Order attempting to end birthright citizenship for certain children born in the United States in direct violation of the text of the Constitution and binding Supreme Court precedent. If confirmed, Sauer would be tasked with representing the United States before the Supreme Court, including for a potential case on birthright citizenship. Sauer refused to answer the Senator’s question.
    “As an attorney, though, admitted to any state bar in the country, you’re tasked with obeying and defending the Constitution of the United States. Now, the President’s already defied the Constitution and Supreme Court precedent in issuing an Executive Order in regards to birthright citizenship. We talked about this in my office, I told you I was going to ask you in this hearing, can you please articulate for the committee the current binding Supreme Court precedent with respect to birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment?”
    Additionally, Padilla criticized Aaron Reitz — who is nominated to lead the DOJ Office of Legal Policy — for his since-deleted tweets attacking landmark LGBTQ+ civil rights decisions in Bostock v. Clayton County and Obergefell v. Hodges, denouncing constitutional birthright citizenship, spreading false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, and even seemingly praising McCarthyism. Reitz admitted that each of these hateful tweets were his.
    Video of Padilla’s remarks is available here.
    More information on the hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 114 Months for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Rashid Lamont McFadden, 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 114 months in prison for distributing videos depicting the violent rape of prepubescent children by adults, images of young children engaged in sadistic and masochistic acts, and images of children engaging in sexual acts with animals. 

               The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.

               McFadden pleaded guilty on May 29, 2024, to one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to the 141-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered McFadden to serve 15 years of supervised release. ­­­

              According to court documents, on February 16, 2023, an undercover officer (UC) from the FBI Washington Field Office was monitoring an online messaging application where individuals met, discussed, and traded sexually explicit images and videos of children. The UC observed an individual identified as “tng6” post a video of child sexual exploitation to the group. Shortly thereafter, tng6 responded to a conversation about meeting other likeminded pedophiles and their children. At that point, the UC initiated a private chat with tng6, who was later identified as McFadden.

               As the UC chatted with McFadden, McFadden continued to post child sex videos to the group. McFadden told the UC that he knew the children in the videos and had produced some of the videos himself. The UC then claimed to be the father of an 8-year-old daughter and that he would show McFadden images of the purported girl on FaceTime.

               On February 17, 2023, Baltimore Police arrested McFadden on an unrelated matter. On February 21, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McFadden’s home in Baltimore and seized McFadden’s cell phone. McFadden refused to provide the passcode for the phone. Law enforcement reviewed the contents of McFadden’s cloud storage account and found several videos and images of children being sexually abused by adults.

               McFadden is currently facing additional criminal charges for possession of child pornography in a separate case pending in the Circuit Court for Maryland in Baltimore County.

               This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in cooperation with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division, and the Baltimore Police Department. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

               The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Shinskie.

               This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    23cr0165

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Ensure U.S. Victims of Terrorism Receive Compensation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    Cornyn, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Ensure U.S. Victims of Terrorism Receive Compensation

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today introduced the American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act, which would strengthen the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Act to provide financial compensation to Americans injured in acts of international state-sponsored terrorism and their families:
    “It’s unacceptable that many victims and their families are still without justice for the tremendous trauma they have experienced at the hands of terrorists,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This bipartisan legislation would help ensure these brave Americans receive compensation when terrorist defendants refuse to pay for their heinous acts, and I’m glad to lead my colleagues in introducing it to show each and every American victim of terrorism they are not alone.”
    “This measure will help ensure victims of state-sponsored terrorism are justly compensated,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “The existing law is in dire need of an update, as the fund intended for the victims has not achieved its goals. This bill will start to correct course, providing victims of terror with the compensation they deserve and setting up a mechanism to help new victims.”
     The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) and led by Congressmen Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) in the House of Representatives.
    Background:
    Enacted in 2015, the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Act provided American victims who hold court judgments against state sponsors of terrorism a mechanism to recover on those judgments given the terrorist defendants’ refusal to pay. However, the fund created by the Justice for USVSST Act has made few distributions since its inception.
    The USVSST fund depends almost exclusively on fines and penalties collected by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against wrongdoers who have violated U.S. sanctions by doing business with state sponsors of terrorism. Due to the DOJ’s decreased enforcement actions, narrow interpretation of the statute, and diversion of funds to other buckets, the USVSST fund has left victims without meaningful distributions for many years.
    The American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act would ensure there is a clear path to help compensate victims for the losses and harms they’ve suffered by:
    Providing an immediate distribution in 2025 and providing a mechanism to ensure that the USVSST fund has a backstop for regular, consistent, and predictable distributions in the future;
    Establishing a sustainable mechanism to help new victims seek and receive judgments against state sponsors of terrorism;
    And ensuring that existing uses and pending claims for asset forfeiture are covered before any funds can be transferred to the USVSST fund. 
    The legislation is endorsed by American victims of the October 7th terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, IED attacks on U.S. military in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, the 2016 Bastille Day attack in Nice, France, the September 11th terrorist attacks, the 2000 U.S.S. Cole attack, the 1998 East African Embassy bombings, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, the passengers of TWA Flight 847 hijacked in 1985 by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists while on route to the United States, the 1983 and 1984 U.S. Embassy and Embassy Annex bombings in Beirut, the 1983 Beirut Marine Barracks bombing, the 1979 hostage taking of Americans at the diplomatic compound in Tehran, and the 1968 U.S.S. Pueblo attack.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sex Predator Sentenced to 15 Years for Sexually Abusing a Minor Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Damon Michael Dozier, 41, for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Dozier imprisoned for 180 months, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

    In June 2023, Dozier took a minor child behind a shopping mall to engage in sexually explicit activity. Dozier admitted that he knew the child was only 13 years old.

    Dozier is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Scaife and Steve Briden prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Opening Statement on DOJ Nominees John Sauer, Harmeet Dhillon and Aaron Reitz

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Opening Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
    Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
    Wednesday, February 26, 2025
    Good morning. I’d like to welcome everyone to this hearing to consider the nominations of John Sauer to serve as the Solicitor General, Harmeet Dhillon to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division and Aaron Reitz to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy.
    Before I turn to my opening statement, I’ll explain how we’re going to proceed today.
    I’ll give my opening remarks, and then I’ll invite Ranking Member Durbin to give opening remarks. Then, I’ll call on Senators Lee, Cruz, Hawley and Schmitt to introduce the nominees. After that, the nominees will have a chance to give an opening statement to the Committee. 
    Following the statements from the nominees, we’ll proceed to a single, five-minute round of questions. I ask Members to do their best to adhere to these time limits, so that we can proceed efficiently with the hearing.
    With that, I’ll turn to my opening remarks.
    Our three nominees have been tapped to serve in important roles in the Department of Justice. Congratulations on your nominations. If confirmed, your work will impact the lives of millions of Americans.
    Each of you has impressive qualifications, and we’re looking forward to hearing from you. I’d like to thank your family and friends for coming today. I know they’re all very proud of you.
    I’ve said many times that the Department of Justice is at an inflection point. Over the last four years, public trust in the Department has declined, and many Americans feel like the justice system doesn’t work for them.
    If confirmed, we expect you to work with Attorney General Pam Bondi to fulfill her promise to turn things around.
    Mr. Sauer, you’re particularly well suited to serve as the nation’s chief appellate lawyer. You started your career clerking for Justice Scalia, one of the legal giants of our time. Justice Scalia spent his life teaching lawyers to faithfully interpret the law and Constitution according to its original meaning. I’ve no doubt that you learned this lesson well.
    After clerking and a stint in private practice, you left D.C. behind to go home and serve as an Assistant United States Attorney in Missouri. You worked diligently to prosecute criminals and to keep your community safe. 
    In 2017, you joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as the Solicitor General, where you served under two members of this Committee, Senator Hawley and Senator Schmitt.  Serving as a state’s chief appellate officer during the COVID pandemic and across two presidential administrations undoubtedly prepared you for the role you will walk into if you are confirmed. 
    There’s a lot of work to be done defending our nation’s laws, and I know you’re prepared to take it on.
    Ms. Dhillon, you’re one of the nation’s foremost experts on civil rights. Your journey started a long way from here, when your family immigrated from India. You went to Dartmouth at the tender age of 16, and then went to law school at the University of Virginia.
    Throughout your career, you’ve never shied away from unpopular but just causes. You served as the Director of an ACLU chapter after 9/11, a group many on my side are often skeptical of. You also started your own law firm and founded a non-profit. You’ve litigated some of the most important cases on free speech, religious liberty, voting rights and discrimination.
    Discrimination is wrong. Our Constitution and our civil rights laws do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, as the Supreme Court recently made clear in the Students for Fair Admissions cases.
    Unfortunately, the Biden administration not only allowed discrimination to take place, but openly encouraged it. Under the name of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” the Biden administration imposed a nationwide regime of discrimination, and the Civil Rights Division completely failed to enforce our nation’s laws. President Trump has put an end to this and, if confirmed, I trust that you’ll work to help him execute on his promise.
    Americans don’t pick winners and losers based on the color of their skin, their sex or the name of their God.
    Ms. Dhillon, you’ve fought for everyone to be treated equally. You fought against colleges shutting down free speech for political reasons, against states restricting freedom of worship and against big tech companies engaged in censorship. You’ve won many victories defending freedom and our constitutional rights. If confirmed, we’ll need your continued leadership to protect the civil rights of all Americans.
    Our side of the aisle doesn’t spend much time talking about people’s personal characteristics. We care about character and merit. But in addition to your qualifications, your background makes you particularly suited to return the Justice Department to its proper role of enforcing our civil rights laws and ending discrimination.
    You’re an immigrant, a religious minority, a woman, a business owner, a civil rights leader, an accomplished lawyer, and, I’ve learned, an excellent knitter. You’re an example of what is great about America.
    Mr. Reitz, you have an impressive and dedicated career of service to our country. You attended college at Texas A&M University on an ROTC Scholarship and honorably served our country as a United States Marine, including a tour in Afghanistan.
    Upon your return from Afghanistan, you attended law school at the University of Texas, where you excelled.
    After a time in private practice, you decided to serve your country again. You clerked for the now-Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Then you ran for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives and campaigned on issues that you believed in. You continued gaining legal experience during this time in private practice.
    You eventually joined the Office of the Attorney General of Texas as Deputy Attorney General for Legal Strategy. In that role, you were involved in some of the office’s most impactful litigation during the Biden administration. You fought to secure the border, hold Big Tech accountable, protect the integrity of the ballot box and promote conservative social values.
    Today, you continue to serve Texas and your country as a member of Senator Cruz’s staff. You are currently his Chief of Staff, and I think I won’t offend my colleague when I say that this is no easy job. This is particularly true because you continue to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve, where you actively drill with your unit and hold the rank of Major. Your relentless work ethic and love of country are obvious.
    In short, the three nominees before us have impressive careers and life stories. I look forward to hearing from them today.
    With that, I’ll turn to Ranking Member Durbin for his opening remarks.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collected More Than $100 Million in Civil, Criminal, and Asset Forfeiture Actions in Fiscal Year 2024

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois collected more than $100 million in criminal, civil, and asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2024, Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today.

    The 2024 collections included approximately $23.9 million in criminal actions, $6.4 million in civil actions, and $70.4 million in asset forfeiture actions.  Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice components across the country to collect another $62.2 million in cases pursued jointly with those offices.

    “Our attorneys and staff place a high priority on recovering funds for the federal treasury and victims of federal crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual.  “Our office will continue to responsibly safeguard taxpayer resources while delivering a valuable return to the citizens of our district.”

    U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Justice Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims.  Federal law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.  While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department of Justice’s Crime Victims Fund, which then distributes the money to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Urges States to Comply with Federal Law by Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued letters to officials in California, Maine, and Minnesota warning them to comply with federal antidiscrimination laws that require them to keep men out of women’s sports.

    “This Department of Justice will defend women and does not tolerate state officials who ignore federal law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will leverage every legal option necessary to ensure state compliance with federal law and President Trump’s executive order protecting women’s sports.”

    As President Trump’s recent executive order on this subject explains, allowing men and boys to compete in women’s and girls’ sports “is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls.” The practice is also illegal under federal law: it denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports, in violation of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Urges States to Comply with Federal Law by Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued letters to officials in California, Maine, and Minnesota warning them to comply with federal antidiscrimination laws that require them to keep men out of women’s sports.

    “This Department of Justice will defend women and does not tolerate state officials who ignore federal law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will leverage every legal option necessary to ensure state compliance with federal law and President Trump’s executive order protecting women’s sports.”

    As President Trump’s recent executive order on this subject explains, allowing men and boys to compete in women’s and girls’ sports “is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls.” The practice is also illegal under federal law: it denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports, in violation of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Questions Michael Kratsios and Mark Meador at Nomination Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, questioned two of President Trump’s nominees: Mr. Michael Kratsios, nominated to be the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and Mr. Mark Meador, nominated to be a Federal Trade Commissioner.

    During the hearing, Senator Fischer asked Mr. Kratsios about emerging technologies and the Department of Defense’s essential role in shaping national spectrum policy, especially given its unique testing abilities for wireless technology. She also asked about the lessons learned from the America’s Mid-Band Initiative Team (AMBIT) spectrum auction.

    Additionally, Senator Fischer questioned Mr. Meador about how he would effectively use agency resources to uphold the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) mission. She emphasized the importance of the FTC’s coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on enforcement efforts to protect consumers.

    Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning

    Click here to download audio

    Click here to download video

    On the DoD’s Cutting-Edge Spectrum Testing and Innovation:

    Senator Fischer: Mr. Kratsios, I welcome your enthusiasm for advancing American leadership on emerging technologies. As you know, OSTP is responsible for coordinating science and tech policy among federal agencies. 

    When you were the United States Chief Technology Officer, one of your focuses was advancing DoD’s unique testing abilities to drive innovation. And at the time, you stated that the Department of Defense is “at the forefront of cutting-edge 5G testing and experimentation.” Do you still believe that?

    Michael Kratsios: I do, yes.

    Senator Fischer:     And when it comes to 5G and other spectrum matters, do you believe that DOD testing should be faithfully integrated into a national spectrum policy?

    Michael Kratsios: Yes, DOD is a critical component of the spectrum strategy.

    On AMBIT:

    Senator Fischer: Previously, I understood you were involved with “America’s Mid-Band Initiative Team,” known as AMBIT, and you brought that up a couple times yesterday in our discussion. And so, I looked into it a little bit more to familiarize myself with it. That was an auction of mid-band spectrum held by DOD, and it was to make those licenses available to wireless companies. Is that correct?

    Michael Kratsios: Yes. 

    Senator Fischer: Did the AMBIT auction cause more congestion for defense systems operating in the lower 3 [GHz] band?

    Michael Kratsios:     In my opinion, I think AMBIT provided an opportunity for a technical analysis of that spectrum range and find a way to be able to still complete the national security mission by moving some of the workloads that were in the auction band to lower bands. 

    Senator Fischer:     So, they had to compress that band even more then in order to accommodate that into the lower 3. Is that correct?

    Michael Kratsios:     Yeah, so some of the activities that were in the band that ultimately were auctioned were moved down to lower bands.

    Senator Fischer:     I also understand that AMBIT struggled on the back end with major relocation costs from the defense systems that were displaced in that process of compressing them. Is that correct?

    Michael Kratsios:     I haven’t tracked the details of that since I left office, but there’s always transition costs associated with freeing up bands, typically.

    Senator Fischer: Are you familiar with any of the costs? Are those readily available, so we can access those? Do you know how that cut into the net revenue that was expected from the auction?

    Michael Kratsios:     I’m not familiar with those details, but I can try to see what’s publicly available.

    Senator Fischer: That would be great. 

    On Responsible FTC Enforcement:

    Senator Fischer:     Mr. Meador, over the years, the Federal Trade Commission has faced off in court against the deepening pockets of major corporations, especially when it comes to Big Tech. If confirmed, how would you prioritize litigation and effectively use agency resources in upholding the FTC mission?

    Mark Meador: That’s a very important topic. I will say the FTC staff have gotten very good at doing a lot with often much less. If confirmed, my first step will be to consult with the Chairman and the Commissioners and of course, the staff, who understand what challenges they are facing. What do we have on our docket and what resources do we have available? And then we’re collaborating with all of them to determine which cases are the highest priority to protect the largest number of consumers from the gravest threats. 

    On FTC Coordination with the Department of Justice: 

    Senator Fischer: It’s my understanding that at times there can be tension with that enforcement coordination with the Department of Justice. Do you have any comments on that? Or if that would occur, what would you do?

    Mark Meador: Sure, this is something that has happened frequently in the past. Some of it has unfortunately been very public. I’m confident that President Trump has selected leaders for this administration who can work very well together. I think it is of paramount importance that both agencies be singing from the same hymn sheet, be aligned on policy and enforcement decisions, and there should really be no daylight between them when it comes to how they’re enforcing the antitrust laws.

    I think anything is possible if you don’t care who gets the credit. And so, when it comes to merger clearance, we should be focusing on protecting consumers as fast as possible, not trying to get one up on the other agency.

    Senator Fischer: Thank you both for putting yourselves forward to serve in these very dangerous times that we live in. I really appreciate it and thank you to your families as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Crescent Township Resident Charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant remains detained after searches also revealed more than 20 firearms and evidence of antisemitic and violent extremist ideologies

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    The one-count Indictment named Aidan Harding, 20, as the sole defendant.

    According to the Indictment and other information presented to the Court, on or about December 11, 2024, Harding possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, including videos containing the sexual abuse of prepubescent minors.

    On January 27, 2025, Harding was charged by criminal complaint and, at a February 12, 2025, detention hearing, ordered to be held without bond pending trial after the United States introduced evidence that Harding committed the charged offense and possessed additional materials depicting violent sexual assaults. In addition, in support of its contention that Harding presented an unacceptable danger to the community, the United States presented testimony and documentary evidence that Harding adhered to a racially-motivated violent extremist ideology, possessed more than 20 firearms, had targeted Pittsburgh’s Jewish community with antisemitic fliers, and made statements online about his interest in “political and revenge driven” mass casualty events, including references to the shooter who murdered 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The evidence also established that Harding, who had been previously adjudicated delinquent for terroristic threats after discussing online his desire to commit a “high kill count” attack, possessed videos of mass shootings from the United States and other countries, and had filmed himself re-enacting the Columbine mass shooting at a memorial honoring the victims of that attack.

    The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

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

    An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects Over $20 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina collected over $20 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, over $14 million was collected in criminal actions and over $6 million was collected in civil actions.

    Additionally, the Eastern District of North Carolina worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $27,680.71 in cases pursued jointly by these offices.

    The Eastern District of North Carolina’s successful collection efforts included the identification and recovery of over $800,000.00 transferred and concealed by criminal defendant Shephard Spruill, who participated in fraudulent billings to Medicaid by abusing his access to patient information.  In another example of successful enforcement, the Eastern District of North Carolina recovered over $500,000 from civil defendant Michael Robinson for amounts fraudulently obtained from farm assistance programs run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The recovery of funds fraudulently obtained from such government programs is vital for ensuring the preservation of important public resources.

    The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

    The Eastern District of North Carolina also aggressively pursued criminal and civil asset forfeiture remedies to disgorge criminals of their ill-gotten gains and recover funds that can subsequently be remitted to the victims of financial crime.  Working with partner agencies and divisions, this office collected over two million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

    In addition to those deposits, during Fiscal Year 2024, the Eastern District of North Carolina, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, seized and processed for forfeiture nearly $5 million in Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency that is alleged to be proceeds of cryptocurrency confidence investment schemes, a type of fraud scheme in which fraudsters develop romantic or other personal online relationships with a victim and then convince them to invest substantial sums of money through fake apps that are designed to look like legitimate cryptocurrency exchange apps, but instead  deceive the victim into believing that they are earning high rates of return on their investments while really funneling the cryptocurrency directly to the fraudsters’ personal wallets.  Even larger cryptocurrency seizures and forfeitures are anticipated and in progress in the coming year as law enforcement works aggressively to combat this devastating form of criminal activity.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Democrats Oppose Use Of Federal Prisons As Part Of President Trump’s Mass Deportation Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 25, 2025

    Senate Judiciary Democrats to Pam Bondi: “We write to object to the recent decision to use Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities to detain immigrants swept up in the Trump Administration’s mass deportation efforts and urge you to reconsider this plan”

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) led a group of Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi stating opposition to the Trump Administration’s intended use of Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities to detain immigrants. The move is a policy revival from President Trump’s first Administration, where detained immigrants described allegations of mistreatment and unconstitutional detention conditions.

    The Senators begin by describing the allegations of mistreatment and unconstitutional detention conditions experienced under the previous Trump Administration, which this announcement revives, writing:“We write to object to the recent decision to use Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities to detain immigrants swept up in the Trump Administration’s mass deportation efforts and urge you to reconsider this plan. During the previous Trump Administration, detained immigrants described alleged mistreatment and unconstitutional detention conditions in federal prisons.  The detainees, many of whom were seeking asylum, lacked access to legal counsel, religious rights, phone calls, educational or other programming, and even clean clothing. Despite this troubling history, the current Trump Administration is apparently relying on the same poorly conceived detention scheme.”

    The Senators continue by stating concerns with the February 7th memo from BOP’s Correctional Programs Branch directing the policy change, writing: “[This memo fails] to provide meaningful guidance and direction to staff on the serious questions raised by these instructions. These questions include how to manage interactions between civil immigration detainees and the existing criminally incarcerated population; how the Department of Justice (DOJ) and DHS will ensure BOP staff receive adequate training and resources to meet the needs of the civil immigrant detainee population; and whether BOP facilities would even be able to meet basic immigration detention standards. Due to BOP already suffering from years of understaffing, inadequate resources, and crumbling infrastructure, the Administration’s decision to revive immigration detention in BOP facilities seriously threatens the safety and well-being of BOP staff, incarcerated individuals, and immigrant detainees.”

    The Senators then outline the long-faced staffing and infrastructure challenges that this policy change would perpetuate, as detailed by labor unions and previous Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Additionally, they describe understaffing as just “one symptom of chronic underinvestment in the Bureau,” among which include growing maintenance needs that executive staff characterize as a “foundational, enterprise-wide challenge” to the tune of $3 billion.

    The Senators conclude by summarizing the challenges facing the Bureau that make immigration detention at BOP facilities problematic, writing: “Until serious funding and staffing challenges outlined above are addressed, federal prisons simply cannot safely and humanely meet the needs of its current inmate population, much less the needs of civil immigration detainees. Immigration detainees in federal prisons will face substandard conditions and care and their detention will only exacerbate significant institutional problems facing the Bureau. We therefore urge you to reconsider this plan and instead work with us to address BOP’s existing challenges.”

    In addition to Durbin and Schiff, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

    For a PDF copy of the letter to Attorney General Bondi, click here.

    During his tenure as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin prioritized oversight of BOP and revived the Committee’s practice of holding annual BOP oversight hearings. In April 2021, the Committee held a BOP oversight hearing with then-Director Carvajal to address chronic understaffing issues and other concerns.  Later, Durbin called for a new, reform-minded BOP Director after an Associated Press report that found that BOP is a “hotbed of abuse, graft and corruption, and has turned a blind eye to employees accused of misconduct.” Then-Director Carvajal’s resignation was announced less than two months later.

    In September 2022, the Committee held its second BOP oversight hearing under Durbin, which was BOP Director Peters’ first time testifying before Congress since taking over as head of the Bureau. At that hearing, Durbin pressed Director Peters about abuse in federal prisons. In September 2023, Durbin held his third BOP oversight hearing. 

    In February 2024, Durbin convened a hearing entitled “Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal Prisons” at which Director Peters and DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified regarding issues related to the operation and management of BOP, including staffing shortages, that contributed to deaths in custody.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston arrests illegal Jamaican national charged with assault, battery in Massachusetts

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Jamaican alien charged in Massachusetts with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a family member when officers arrested Jahmari Taffari Westcarth, 26, in Boston Jan. 25.

    “Jahmari Taffari Westcarth stands accused of assaulting and victimizing a family member in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He represents a significant threat to the residents of our community,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “We simply refuse to tolerate such dangers to the law-abiding residents of our New England neighborhoods. ICE Boston stands firm in our commitment to prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our neighborhoods.”

    The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Westcarth after he illegally entered the United States near San Ysidro, California, Dec. 30, 2022, and served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

    The Dorchester District Court arraigned Westcarth Jan. 8 for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a family member.

    ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Westcarth with later that day with the Dorchester District Court but the court refused to honor the immigration detainer and released Westcarth from custody.

    Westcarth remains in ICE custody following his arrest.

    Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

    Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X: @EROBoston.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ2: Cases of child maltreatment

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Dr the Hon Tik Chi-yuen and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
     
    Question:
     
         The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) will take effect on January 20 next year. According to the data of the Child Protection Registry Statistical Report, the number of maltreatment cases involving children with disabilities is rising rapidly. For example, the number of children with disabilities who had been subjected to sexual abuse increased from 125 in 2022 to 175 in 2023. There are views pointing out that this trend attracts little media coverage or attention, and the actual situation of child maltreatment is not well-known. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) as there are views pointing out that some victims of child maltreatment cases choose to cover up the incident and refrain from reporting to the Police or the Social Welfare Department’s Family and Child Protective Services Unit, given the “secondary damage” caused to them by the fact that they have to recall the course of the incident when facing judicial proceedings (e.g. taking statements and giving evidence in court proceedings), how the Government will deal with such situation upon commencement of the Ordinance; whether it will consider amending the legislation to mitigate the secondary damage caused to the victims; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
     
    (2) given the increase in the number of child maltreatment cases (especially sexual abuse), whether the Government has conducted any in-depth investigation into this trend; if so, of the main reasons for such trend according to the findings of the investigation; whether it has formulated preventive measures targeting schools or youth groups;
     
    (3) as it is learnt that children with mental and physical disabilities are the major group of victims of child abuse cases involving children with disabilities, whether the Government has provided additional resources or protective measures to address the special needs of this group of people;

    (4) as the Secretary for Labour and Welfare has pointed out that the anticipated number of reported child abuse cases will increase substantially after the commencement of the Ordinance, whether the Government has sufficient resources to support child victims, such as enhancing the relevant psychological counselling, placement and rehabilitation mechanisms;
     
    (5) whether it will consider setting up a dedicated committee or organization to monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the Ordinance, coordinate the relevant policies and initiatives, and regularly disclose to the public the data on case reports and the effectiveness of its efforts in handling the cases; and
     
    (6) as it has been reported that the Budget is going to propose a reduction in the funding for social welfare organisations, how the Government will tackle an increasing number of child maltreatment cases in the light of reduced funding and shortage of social workers, and whether it has estimated the average number of relevant cases that each social worker will need to handle after the reduction in funding?

    Reply:
     
    President,
     
         The Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance (the Ordinance) mandates specified professionals in the social welfare, education and healthcare sectors to report serious child abuse cases, creating a comprehensive and effective protection web for children and sending a strong deterrent message to potential perpetrators that their abuse behaviours will be easily exposed. The consolidated reply to the Member’s question, in consultation with Education Bureau (EDB) and Security Bureau (SB), is as follows:

    (1) Various government departments and the Judiciary have been protecting child victims and witnesses through administrative procedures, guidelines and measures to encourage and facilitate them to report and give evidence in child harm/abuse cases and to lessen their trauma in the process. The Social Welfare Department (SWD), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Judiciary, has taken a number of measures to protect children. For example, during criminal investigations, the relevant departments may arrange children to give evidence through video-recorded interviews (VRI) in appropriate circumstances. These VRIs are conducted in a comfortable home-like environment by specially trained police officers, social workers, and/or clinical psychologists. The video-recorded evidence can be admitted as valid evidence at the trial, saving the children from recounting the incidents in the courtroom, thereby alleviating their embarrassment and trauma. During trials, the children can enter and exit court rooms through special access. In addition, they can also testify in another room by means of live television link in the company of trained witness-support persons to avoid facing the defendant and the public directly, thereby alleviating their psychological stress. In addition, the HKPF and the Department of Justice jointly established the Vulnerable Witness and Child Protection Task Force in 2022 to speed up and improve the evidence collection, prosecution and follow-up investigation work with collective efforts. The SWD and the HKPF will continue to organise training courses and review the procedures for handling sexual violence cases to enhance the skills and sensitivity of different professionals in order to effectively assist child victims and ensure that they receive appropriate protection and support.

    (2) Through the Child Protection Registry, the SWD has been collecting and compiling statistics on information of registered cases involving children who have been harmed/abused or currently at risk of being harmed/abused. The annual statistics are uploaded onto the SWD’s website for public reference. There were 1 367 newly registered child protection cases in 2021 and 1 457 cases in 2023, representing an increase of about 6.6 per cent in three years. Among them, there were 448 sexual abuse cases in 2021 and 509 sexual abuse cases in 2023, representing an increase of about 13.6 per cent. According to the SWD’s analysis, possible reasons for the increase in registered cases include: growing public awareness on child protection and more proactive reporting of cases as a result of the legislative exercise of the Ordinance as well as publicity and public education on child protection in recent years; more children are using social media, messaging apps, chat applications, or online games in recent years; and children having more opportunities to interact with others in resumption of normalcy after the epidemic.
     
         On publicity and education in the community, the SWD has been launching the publicity campaign on “Strengthening Families and Combating Violence” to raise public awareness on child protection and prevention of domestic violence and encourage those in need to seek help early through large scale publicity events and district-based activities. In 2022, the SWD has produced a series of videos on “Heart and Hut Classroom: Online Sexual Abuse Pitfalls” and broadcasted on social media to remind young people and parents of the risk factors, prevention and handling of online sexual abuse. The HKPF has been organising the “Let’s T.A.L.K. Child Protection Campaign” every year since 2021 to raise public awareness of child protection through a series of publicity and promotional activities. In addition, the HKPF organised a multi-disciplinary seminar on “Child Sexual Abuse in the Cyber World” on March 21, 2024, together with experts and representatives from relevant sectors and discussed with more than 500 parents, principals, teachers, social workers, Police officers and child service workers online and offline on how to effectively protect children from online sexual crimes, thereby enhancing their understanding of children’s online safety and their awareness and response capabilities to protect children from such crimes, and promoting collaboration among different professions.
     
         In respect of preventive work targeting schools or youth groups, the EDB has all along been assisting schools in the prevention, early identification and appropriate intervention of suspected child abuse cases through various measures. These measures include issuance of circulars and guidelines requiring schools to devise relevant mechanisms, procedures and measures to handle such cases; strengthening school social work service to assist schools in the early identification of suspected abused students and potential issues in their families; encouraging schools to implement Comprehensive Student Guidance Service, under which all teachers collaborate with school social workers, other student guidance personnel or specialists to provide comprehensive and extensive guidance service to students in need; as well as supporting schools to adopt a whole school approach, through cross-sector collaboration among professionals from different disciplines in schools (including student guidance personnel, school social workers and school-based educational psychologists), to intervene and follow up as early as possible, and to provide students with appropriate support. At the same time, the EDB actively promotes the “Positive Parent Campaign” to foster parents’ positive attitude and understanding in nurturing their children, so as to enable students grow up healthily and prevent child abuse incidents. In addition, the EDB has been working closely with the SWD and the HKPF to organise various training activities with a view to strengthening school staff’s knowledge, skills and abilities in handling suspected child abuse cases.

    (3), (4) and (6) The Government has allocated an additional provision in 2023-24 for enhancing the Government’s enforcement and support capacity, providing appropriate training to practitioners in the relevant professions and strengthening the promotion and public education work on child protection, with a view to supporting the implementation of the mandatory reporting regime (MRR) for child abuse cases.
     
         The Government has further allocated an additional provision in 2024-25 to increase emergency places for residential child care service and strengthen professional support for child abuse victims and their families to prepare for the potential increase in the reported child abuse cases upon the implementation of the MRR. Among which, two new residential child care centres will commence operation before the Ordinance comes into effect, offering a total of 96 additional service places each year and are expected to provide emergency placement for 384 children in need (in the estimation that each place of residential child care centre can take care of 4 children on average per year).
     
         The SWD will also strengthen the professional support to actual or suspected child abuse victims (including pre-primary children with special needs) and their families. Starting from March 2025, the SWD will subsidise non-governmental organisations to implement various child protection support services, including Home Visitation Support, therapeutic/psycho-social groups, educational and family enrichment activities, to complement the work of social workers of the Family and Child Protective Services Unit of the SWD or related casework service units in providing focused support services for children and families in need.
     
         Child protection (including pre-primary children with special needs) work and cases are being handled and followed up in a multi-disciplinary manner (including social welfare, education, law enforcement, healthcare). Professionals from different service units, including social workers, work together to provide professional support to children and families in need. The SWD does not maintain information on the average number of child protection cases handled by each social worker.

    (5) The Labour and Welfare Bureau, the EDB, the Health Bureau and the SB have formed a Cross-bureaux Working Group to make preparations for the implementation of MRR in January next year. The SWD and the HKPF are jointly developing the internal work flow and mandatory reporting platform to facilitate mandated reporters in making reports and collecting relevant data, ensuring efficient and effective follow-up on reported cases. Relevant bureaux and departments will continue to monitor the operation of MRR and the trend of the number of reports after its implementation. The number of cases reported through the MRR will be incorporated into the statistics of the Child Protection Registry and disseminated to the public.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Budget Speech by the Financial Secretary (8)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Talent Hub

    All-out Efforts to Trawl for Talents

    Attracting Quality Talents and Professionals

    151. The Government makes every effort to trawl for talents, and will shortly invite top and leading talents to come to Hong Kong for development under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. We will also enhance the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals and the General Employment Policy by allowing young non-degree talents with professional and technical qualifications and experience to come to Hong Kong to join skilled trades facing manpower shortage.

    “Global Talent Summit‧Hong Kong”

    152. The Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) provides comprehensive one stop support to incoming talents, promotes globally Hong Kong’s advantages and attracts talents. The HKTE plans to organise the second “Global Talent Summit‧Hong Kong” early next year to reinforce Hong Kong’s status as an international hub for high-calibre talent.

    Belt and Road Scholarship

    153. The Government will continue to attract more students, especially those from ASEAN and other B&R countries, to study in Hong Kong through various measures, including the B&R Scholarship.

    New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme

    154. Under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, more than 880 applications have been received cumulatively, with an expected investment of over $26 billion. We will launch a series of enhancement measures shortly to provide greater flexibility under the Scheme. 

    All-out Efforts to Nurture Talents

    155. To stimulate primary and secondary school students’ interest in I&T, I have invited the HKIC, the HKSTPC and Cyberport to co-ordinate the efforts of more than 100 technology enterprises under their purview to engage in interactions and exchanges with students to share frontier exploration and start-up experience in technology through organising product display in schools, site visits, etc, in the coming year. These technology enterprises cover various domains such as AI, robotics, and green technology.

    156. We are also encouraging technology enterprises in Hong Kong to provide resources, technical guidance and practice scenarios for technology education such as coding and AI learning in schools, with a view to further enhancing young people’s interest and capability in I&T application through integrating theoretical learning and practical application.
     
    Enhancing Collaboration with Cities in the Greater Bay Area

    Medical Co-operation

    157. The joint establishment of the GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform by Hong Kong and Shenzhen is one of the benchmark collaboration projects in the GBA. We are seeking to establish the Real-World Study and Application Centre by the end of this year. With the data from the “special measure of using Hong Kong registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in GBA”, we aim to accelerate approval for registration of new drugs in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, fostering R&D, clinical trials and application of advanced biomedical technology in Hong Kong.

    158. The Hospital Authority (HA), through various talent exchange programmes, invites healthcare professionals, including those from the Mainland especially the GBA, for professional and clinical exchange with local healthcare personnel to foster mutual professional enhancement and, in the long run, establish a regional healthcare talent pool.

    Data Flow and Exchange

    159. The facilitation measure on the “Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information Within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Mainland, Hong Kong)” helps promote the safe and orderly cross-boundary flow of authorised personal information, and has been well-received by the telecommunications sector since its launch. The measure has already been opened up for participation by other sectors. 

    Financial Co-operation

    160. The HKMA and the PBoC signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cross-Boundary Credit Referencing Pilots last year on a pilot basis between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The initiative has received positive feedback from the industry. We will progressively expand the pilot coverage to further facilitate cross-boundary financing for enterprises.

    Youth Exchange

    161. The Labour Department has since this year relaxed the requirements of joining the GBA Youth Employment Scheme to young people aged 29 or below with sub-degree or higher qualifications, and increased the limit of allowance for enterprises to $12,000 per month per person for up to 18 months.

    Co-operation in Transport and Logistics

    162. At the end of last year, the AA and the Zhuhai Transportation Holdings Group signed the Agreement of Shares Acquisition concerning the equity acquisition of Zhuhai Airport, which provides a reinforced foundation for passenger and cargo connectivity between the airports. Separately, 21 airlines and 125 logistics companies have participated in the sea air intermodal cargo transhipment mode under the co-operation of Hong Kong and Dongguan. It is expected that the first phase construction of the permanent facility for the Phase 1 development of the logistics park in Dongguan will be completed this year and the preliminary study of the Phase 2 development will commence shortly.

    Co-operation Relating to Construction Industry

    163. The Building Technology Research Institute established last year is comparing and complementing the testing and certification requirements between standards in different regions with a view to promoting local application of high-quality and cost-effective construction materials. Moreover, the Institute will closely liaise with the counterparts concerned in Guangdong Province for commencing a strategic study on standards in the GBA soon.

    164. We are actively collaborating with the Guangdong Province to leverage complementary advantages of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) methods and develop MiC as an industry in the GBA. Efforts will be dedicated to R&D, quality accreditation and international marketing of MiC.

    165. We have, in collaboration with Guangdong Province, successfully established the “Professional Title” evaluation mechanism for the first batch of Hong Kong engineering professionals. The mechanism will be gradually extended to other construction-related professions with the right conditions. We will also collaborate with Guangdong Province and Macao SAR to formulate GBA standards on the skill levels for skilled workers and technicians of the construction sector, and take forward the “One Examination, Multiple Certification” arrangement. We will announce the GBA standards for the first pilot trade in due course.

    Legal Co-operation

    166. The Department of Justice (DoJ) is actively taking forward its work in setting up a dedicated platform for GBA lawyers to provide better support to the business development and brand building of lawyers. The DoJ will also actively promote the establishment of a GBA legal information platform to enhance legal information exchange.

    Development of Qianhai

    167. The Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone is one of the major co-operation platforms in the GBA. Since the promulgation of the “Overall Development Plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone”, Hong Kong-Shenzhen cooperation has achieved substantive progress in various policy areas. For example, the turnover of Qianhai Mercantile Exchange, a subsidiary of HKEX, exceeded RMB100 billion over the year. It operates our country’s only offshore spot trading platform for soybeans. 

    168. On the basis of the successful implementation of the measure of “allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law” in Qianhai, the DoJ collaborated with the relevant Mainland authorities and achieved the extension of the above measure and the measure of “allowing Hong Kong invested enterprises to choose Hong Kong as the arbitration place” to other pilot cities in the GBA, providing Hong Kong investors with a more facilitative business environment.

    169. Cyberport has been actively collaborating with the Qianhai Management Authority to facilitate the landing of start-up enterprises at respective parks. So far, some 10 Cyberport enterprises are exploring setting up their operations in Qianhai, whilst two enterprises on AI and digital entertainment from Qianhai have established businesses at Cyberport.

    170. Hong Kong will continue to support Qianhai in trying out new policies on a pilot basis and pursuing more policy innovation and breakthroughs, with a view to promoting the successful policies to the rest of the GBA and even the entire country.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Co-operation with GBA cities secured

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan today outlined a series of measures in the Budget concerning Hong Kong’s collaboration with other cities of the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) on various fronts, including youth development.

    As from this year, the requirements for joining the GBA Youth Employment Scheme has been relaxed so that youngsters aged 29 or below with sub-degree or higher qualifications can join, while the limit of allowance for enterprises has been increased to $12,000 per month per person for up to 18 months.

    With regard to medical co-operation, the Government is seeking to establish the Real-World Study & Application Centre for the GBA Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform by Hong Kong and Shenzhen by the end of this year.

    With the data from the special measure of using Hong Kong registered drugs and medical devices used in Hong Kong public hospitals in the GBA, Mr Chan explained that the aim is to accelerate approval for the registration of new drugs in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, fostering research and development, clinical trials and the application of advanced biomedical technology in Hong Kong.

    On the financial front, following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cross-Boundary Credit Referencing Pilots between the Monetary Authority and the People’s Bank of China, the Government will progressively expand the pilot coverage to further facilitate cross-boundary financing for enterprises.

    Concerning transport and logistics, Mr Chan pointed out that 21 airlines and 125 logistics companies have participated in the sea air intermodal cargo transshipment mode under the co-operation of Hong Kong and Dongguan.

    It is expected that the first phase construction of the permanent facility for the Phase 1 development of the logistics park in Dongguan will be completed within this year and the preliminary study of Phase 2 development will commence shortly.

    The co-operation with GBA cities covers the construction industry as well. Mr Chan pointed out that in collaboration with Guangdong Province, the Government has successfully established the “Professional Title” evaluation mechanism for the first batch of Hong Kong engineering professionals, with the mechanism to be extended to other construction related professions with the right conditions. 

    The Government will collaborate with Guangdong Province and Macau to formulate GBA standards on the skill levels for skilled workers and technicians of the construction sector, and take forward the “One Examination, Multiple Certification” arrangement.

    The Financial Secretary also mentioned the development of Qianhai, saying that the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone is one of the major co-operation platforms in the bay area.

    “For example, the turnover of Qianhai Mercantile Exchange, a subsidiary of Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, exceeded RMB100 billion over the year. It operates our country’s only offshore spot trading platform for soybeans.”

    He added that the Department of Justice collaborated with the relevant Mainland authorities and achieved the extension of the measures, including the one of “allowing Hong Kong invested enterprises to choose Hong Kong as the arbitration place” to other pilot cities in the bay area, thereby providing Hong Kong investors with a more facilitative business environment.

    “Hong Kong will continue to support Qianhai in trying out new policies on a pilot basis and pursuing more policy innovation and breakthroughs, with a view to promoting the successful policies to the rest of the GBA and even the entire country.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Pushes for Answers on UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare Advantage Billing Practices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Read more from the Wall Street Journal HERE

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty demanding detailed information on the company’s Medicare billing practices.

    Grassley’s letter cited reports of apparent fraud, waste and abuse at UnitedHealth Group, including efforts to diagnose enrollees with obscure revenue-generating diagnoses that were irrelevant or inaccurate. According to reporting, this resulted in $8.7 billion in extra payments in 2021 alone.

    “Despite these oversight efforts, [Medicare Advantage Organizations] continue to defraud the American taxpayer, costing them billions of dollars a year … The apparent fraud, waste, and abuse at issue is simply unacceptable and harms not only Medicare beneficiaries, but also the American taxpayer,” Grassley wrote.

    In the letter, Grassley requested UnitedHealth provide its training manuals, guidance documents, compliance program details, audit results and other documents.

    Since 2015, Grassley has pressed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of Justice to recover improper payments made to Medicare Advantage Organizations, including UnitedHealth Group.

    Text of the letter to UnitedHealth Group follows:

    February 24, 2025

    VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

    Mr. Andrew Witty

    Chief Executive Officer

    UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

    Dear Mr. Witty:

    Twenty-five years ago, I helped shepherd Medicare Part C into law, and I have repeatedly advocated for the program.[1]  Further, since 2015, I have pressed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to recover improper payments made to Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAO), including UnitedHealth Group.[2]  Despite these oversight efforts, MAOs continue to defraud the American taxpayer, costing them billions of dollars a year.[3] 

    On February 21, 2025, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “DOJ Investigates Medicare Billing Practices at UnitedHealth,” which reported that the DOJ launched an investigation into UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare billing practices.[4]  According to the Journal, UnitedHealth Group used in-home health risk assessments (HRA) and chart reviews to diagnose enrollees with obscure revenue-generating diagnoses that were irrelevant or inaccurate.[5]  Further, according to the reporting, the inappropriate diagnoses resulted in extra payments of $8.7 billion in just 2021.[6] 

    On October 24, 2024, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) released a report titled, Medicare Advantage: Questionable Use of Health Risk Assessments Continues To Drive Up Payments to Plans by Billions.[7]  The HHS OIG found that UnitedHealth Group received more money from CMS for diagnoses only made during in-home HRAs and chart reviews than any other MAO.[8]  The OIG, which reviewed all MAO enrollees, noted that, “the lack of any other follow-up visits, procedures, tests, or supplies for these diagnoses…raises concerns that either: (1) the diagnoses are inaccurate and thus the payments are improper or (2) enrollees did not receive needed care for serious conditions reported only on HRAs or HRA-linked chart reviews.”[9]  In this context, UnitedHealth Group benefited financially more than any other MAO, which raises serious questions about its practices.  The apparent fraud, waste, and abuse at issue is simply unacceptable and harms not only Medicare beneficiaries, but also the American taxpayer.  

    For Congress and the American public to better understand UnitedHealth Group’s billing practices, please provide answers to the following questions no later than March 10, 2025:

    1. What steps has UnitedHealth Group taken to review all diagnoses submitted to CMS for its Medicare Advantage enrollees (“enrollees”) that were identified only by HRAs or chart reviews (either manual or artificial intelligence) and to identify all submitted diagnoses that are obscure, irrelevant, or inaccurate?  Quantify the number and amount of inappropriate payments identified as a result of these actions.  Provide all records.[10]
    1. Provide all records that relate to the compliance program that UnitedHealth Group had in place from 2019-2024 to monitor the accuracy and appropriateness of the diagnosis codes submitted to CMS for enrollees, including the design and results of all audits conducted.
    1. Provide all training manuals and guidance documents for conducting HRAs and manual chart reviews, a list of all software used during the course of an HRA and a manual chart review, and the logic rules for all electronic decision support tools embedded in the software.  Does UnitedHealth Group use artificial intelligence to conduct the aforementioned processes?  Are all diagnoses identified by artificial intelligence confirmed by a trained medical record reviewer?
    1. Provide all policies and procedures for obtaining diagnostic confirmation from an enrollee’s primary care provider and ensuring the receipt of treatment for a new diagnosis identified by an HRA or a chart review.  Provide all documentation related to compliance audits of this process.

    Thank you for your prompt review and response.  If you have any questions, please contact Tucker Akin with my Committee staff at (202) 224-5225.

    Sincerely,

    Charles E. Grassley

    Chairman

    Committee on the Judiciary

    -30-

    [1] Thomas Oliver, Philip Lee, and Helene Lipton, A Political History of Medicare and Prescription Drug Coverage, The Millbank Quarterly (June 2004), https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2690175/; Webpage, Cuts to the Medicare Advantage Program, Off. of Senator Charles E. Grassley (Feb. 27, 2014), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/video/watch/cuts-to-the-medicare-advantage-program; Letter from Senator Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Comm. on Finance, to Seema Verna, Administrator, Cntrs. for Medicare & Medicaid Srvcs. (Mar. 29, 2019), https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/03292019%20Medicare%20Advantage%20Letter.pdf.

    [2] Letter from Senator Charles E. Grassley, Ranking Member, Senate Comm. on the Budget, to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Cntrs. for Medicare & Medicaid Srvcs. (Dec. 16, 2024), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/grassley_to_cms_-_radv_final_rule.pdf;

    Letter from Senator Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Comm. on the Judiciary, to Seema Verna, Administrator, Cntrs. for Medicare & Medicaid Srvcs. (Apr. 17, 2017), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2017-04-17%20CEG%20to%20CMS%20(Risk%20Score%20Follow%20Up).pdf; Letter from Senator Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Comm. on the Judiciary, to Andrew Slavitt, Administrator, Cntrs. for Medicare & Medicaid Srvcs. (May 19, 2015), https://media.npr.org/documents/2015/may/grassley_cms.pdf; Letter from Senator Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Comm. on the Judiciary, to Loretta Lynch, Attorney General, Dept. of Justice (May 19, 2015), https://media.npr.org/documents/2015/may/grassley_doj.pdf.  

    [3] Medicare Advantage Provider Independent Health to Pay Up To $98M to Settle False Claims Act Suit, Dept. of Justice (Dec. 20, 2024), https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/medicare-advantage-provider-independent-health-pay-98m-settle-false-claims-act-suit; Oak Street Health Agrees to Pay $60M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying Kickbacks to Insurance Agents in Medicare Advantage Recruitment Scheme, Dept. of Justice (Sep. 18, 2024), https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/oak-street-health-agrees-pay-60m-resolve-alleged-false-claims-act-liability-paying-kickbacks.

    [4] Christopher Weaver and Anna Wilde Mathews, DOJ Investigates Medicare Billing Practices at UnitedHealth, The Wall Street Journal (Feb. 21, 2025), https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/unitedhealth-medicare-doj-diagnosis-investigation-66b9f1db?msockid=1979114121c76140288a04d6207560b1.

    [5] Id.; Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, and Tom McGinty, UnitedHealth’s Army of Doctors Helped It Collect Billions More From Medicare, The Wall Street Journal (Dec. 29, 2024), https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/unitedhealth-medicare-payments-doctors-c2a343db?msockid=1979114121c76140288a04d6207560b1; Anna Wilde Mathews et al., The One-Hour Nurse Visits That Let Insurers Collect $15 Billion From Medicare, The Wall Street Journal (Aug. 4, 2024), https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/medicare-extra-payments-home-visits-diagnosis-057dca8b?msockid=1979114121c76140288a04d6207560b1; Christopher Weaver et al., Insurers Pocketed $50 Billion From Medicare for Diseases No Doctor Treated, The Wall Street Journal (July 8, 2024), https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/medicare-health-insurance-diagnosis-payments-b4d99a5d?msockid=1979114121c76140288a04d6207560b1.

    [6] Weaver & Mathews, supra note 4.

    [7] U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Medicare Advantage: Questionable Use of Health Risk Assessments Continues To Drive Up Payments to Plans by Billions, OEI-03-23-00380 (Oct. 24, 2024), https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/evaluation/10028/OEI-03-23-00380.pdf.

    [8] Id.

    [9] Id.

    [10] Records” include any written, recorded, or graphic material of any kind, including letters, memoranda, reports, notes, electronic data (e-mails, email attachments, and any other electronically-created or stored information), calendar entries, inter-office communications, meeting minutes, phone/voice mail or recordings/records of verbal communications, and drafts (whether or not they resulted in final documents).

    MIL OSI USA News –