NewzIntel.com

Category: US Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Couple Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON— A Texas couple was sentenced to prison after they were previously convicted of assaulting law enforcement and other charges during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Mark Middleton, 55, and Jalise Middleton, 54, both of Forestburg, Texas, were sentenced to 30 and 20 months in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss. Mark Middleton was additionally sentenced to 36 months’ supervised release, and a $2,000 fine. Jalise Middleton was additionally sentenced to 30 months’ supervised release, and a $2,000 fine.

                A federal jury previously convicted the Middletons of two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, as well as civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding.  In addition to the felonies, the Middletons were convicted of misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or building, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or building.

                Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Fischer v. United States, the government voluntarily moved pre-sentencing to dismiss the Middleton’s conviction on obstruction of an official proceeding.

                According to evidence presented during the trial, on Jan. 6, 2021, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building to assist U.S. Capitol Police officers with protecting the Capitol building and grounds from a group of amassed rioters. At about 2:09 p.m., MPD officers struggled against rioters who had refused repeated orders to step back from the police line and bike rack barricades.

                According to trial evidence and police body-worn camera footage, as the officers struggled with the group of rioters, a male individual, later identified as Mark Middleton, pushed against the barricades and the police line with his body. Officers are heard on body-worn camera footage repeatedly ordering Mark Middleton and others to “Get back!” In response, Mark Middleton is heard yelling “f— you!” as he continued to push against the police barricades. Evidence showed that Mark Middleton resisted MPD officers, grabbed onto an MPD officer’s left hand or wrist, and pulled the officer forward towards the crowd.

                At the same time, a woman, later identified as Jalise Middleton, is seen on body-worn camera footage repeatedly grabbing and striking the same officer over the barricade with her hand. Another officer then approached to assist, and Jalise Middleton struck that officer as well. Video footage shows that the couple continued to grapple with and strike at the officers and attempted to pull an officer into the crowd as various flags were jabbed toward the officers’ faces.

                MPD officers later deployed a chemical spray, forcing the Middletons to retreat from the barricaded line. Both defendants later posted social media messages touting their key role in helping to breach the barricades by fighting officers and that they had only stopped due to pepper spray.

                Mark and Jalise Middleton were arrested on April 21, 2021, in Forestburg, Texas.

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

                This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Dallas and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Announces Murder-for-Hire Charges Against IRGC Brigadier General and Former Intelligence Officer and Members of an Iranian Intelligence Network

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

    Ruhollah Bazghandi and Members of His Iran-Based Network, Contracted Members of an Eastern European Organized Crime Group to Murder a U.S. Citizen of Iranian Origin in New York City Who Has Publicly Opposed the Iranian Government

    Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced the unsealing of murder-for-hire, money-laundering, and sanctions charges against RUHOLLAH BAZGHANDI, a/k/a “Roohollah Azimi,” FNU LNU, a/k/a “Haj Taher,” (“HAJ TAHER”), HOSSEIN SEDIGHI, and SEYED MOHAMMAD FOROUZAN.  The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court.  As detailed in the Superseding Indictment, BAZGHANDI, HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN contracted members of an Eastern European criminal organization, including RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,”  a/k/a “Rome,” POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” and ZIALAT MAMEDOV, a/k/a “Ziko,” to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York City who has publicly opposed the Iranian Government and who has previously been the target of similar plots by the Iranian Government.  AMIROV, OMAROV, and MAMEDOV previously were arrested on charges contained in underlying indictments.  AMIROV and OMAROV are in custody in the U.S., pending trial; Mamedov was extradited from the Czech Republic to the Republic of Georgia (“Georgia”) to face charges there.  BAZGHANDI, HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN, all of whom are based in Iran, remain at large.  The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, the Government of Iran has attempted to assassinate, on U.S. soil, a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who is a prominent critic of the Iranian regime.  In January 2023, we unsealed charges alleging that members of an Eastern European crime group engaged in a plot to murder this victim.  As we allege, that group was not acting alone.  Today, we hold their Iranian masters to account, and allege that these Iran-based co-conspirators, including a Brigadier General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, directed the murder plot.  By charging these Iran-based defendants, we seek to strike another public blow at the heart of the Government of Iran’s efforts to execute the victim—as well as its lethal targeting, intimidation, and repression of other Iranian dissidents critical of the regime in the U.S. and abroad.”  

    Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Justice Department has now charged eight individuals, including an Iranian military official, for their efforts to silence and kill a U.S. citizen because of her criticism of the Iranian regime.  We will not tolerate efforts by an authoritarian regime like Iran to undermine the fundamental rights guaranteed to every American.  Three of the defendants charged in this horrific plot are now in U.S. custody, and we will never stop working to identify, find, and bring to justice all those who endanger the safety of the American people.”

    Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “Today’s indictment makes plain that the Iranian regime for years has been behind a violent campaign to stalk, intimidate, and arrange the killing of an American dissident on U.S. soil for bravely speaking up for the rights of the Iranian people.  The Department is committed to exposing and holding accountable those in Tehran who believe they can hide their hand in carrying out such reprehensible activities.”

    FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “Today’s indictment exposes the full extent of Iran’s plot to silence an American journalist for criticizing the Iranian regime.  According to the charges, a brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a former Iranian intelligence officer, working with a network of conspirators, planned to kill a dissident living in New York City.  The FBI’s investigation led to the disruption of this plot as one of the conspirators was allegedly on their way to murder the victim in New York.  As these charges show, the FBI will work with our partners here and abroad to hold accountable those who target Americans.”

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Today we charge four members of the Bazghandi Network – each connected to the Iranian government – as being responsible for hiring members of an Eastern European Organized Crime Group to murder an American citizen in New York City.   This crime was intended to stop an American from exercising their Constitutionally protected right to free speech; to end their life for speaking out publicly against the Iranian regime and its human rights violations.  The FBI will aggressively pursue, disrupt, and hold accountable any foreign government which attempts to murder our citizens on our soil.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1] 

    BAZGHANDI, who resides in Iran, is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”) Brigadier General and has previously served as chief of an IRGC Intelligence Organization (“IRGC-IO”) counterintelligence office.  In April 2023, the U.S. Secretary of State designated IRGC-IO as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 14078, relating to hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad. On the same date, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned BAZGHANDI in connection with his involvement with the detention of foreign prisoners held in Iran.  BAZGHANDI was designated by the Treasury Department a second time in June 2023, this time under Executive Order 13224, for his participation in IRGC-IO’s lethal targeting operations.  HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN (collectively with BAZGHANDI, the “Bazghandi Network”), each of whom resides in Iran, also have connections to the Government of Iran.    

    The Bazghandi Network contracted AMIROV, OMAROV, MAMEDOV, and Khalid Mehdiyev to murder, on U.S. soil, a victim (the “Victim”) residing in New York City.  The Victim is a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses and suppression of political expression, including in connection with continuing protests against the regime across Iran.  As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap the Victim from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence the Victim’s criticism of the regime.  That plot was disrupted and exposed by the FBI and led to the filing of federal kidnapping conspiracy and other charges in the Southern District of New York against several participants in the plot in U.S. v. Farahani, et al., 21 Cr. 430 (RA) (S.D.N.Y.).

    Since at least July 2022, the Bazghandi Network tasked members of the Organization with assassinating the Victim.  The Organization’s participation in the murder-for-hire plot was directed by AMIROV, who resided in Iran and who was tasked with targeting the Victim by individuals in Iran.  On approximately July 13, 2022, AMIROV forwarded targeting information—which Amirov had received from individuals in Iran—about the Victim and the Victim’s residence to OMAROV.  OMAROV, in turn, together with MAMEDOV, directed and collaborated with Mehdiyev, who was residing in Yonkers, New York, to carry out the plot against the Victim. Mehdiyev’s participation in the plot was disrupted when he was arrested near the Victim’s home on or about July 28, 2022, while in possession of the assault rifle, along with 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.

    In January 2023, AMIROV, OMAROV, and MAMEDOV were arrested overseas.  On January 27, 2023, they were charged publicly for their roles in the plot to assassinate the Victim.  Nevertheless, in the months that followed, members of the Bazghandi Network continued to target the Victim.  For example, in or about March 2023, HAJ TAHER searched for information about the Victim’s family members and SEDIGHI saved an image of the Victim’s residence. As recently as on or about May 1, 2023, BAZGHANDI conducted an Internet search, in Farsi, for, “a person in the house of [the Victim] movie,” and, on the same date, watched a video with the title, “A video of the arrested gunman in front of [the Victim]’s home in New York received by [the Victim’s employer].”

    *               *                *

    BAZGHANDI, HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN, all of Iran, have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison (Count Three); and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison (Count Six).

    AMIROV, 45, of IRAN; OMAROV, 39, of the Czech Republic and Slovenia; Mamedov, 32, of Georgia; also have been charged in Counts One, Two, and Three, as well as with attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison (Count Five).

    The potential maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by Judge McMahon.

    Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance.

    This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

    The charges in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson Appoints Election Officer for the Middle District of Alabama

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that an Assistant United States Attorney will serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Alabama and lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. The DEO is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

                “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “In addition, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

                The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

                Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). 

                The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the DEO will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. The DEO can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (334) 223-7280.

                In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 251-438-3674.

                Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

                Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson added, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

                Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Denham Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Barry Paul Vining, age 56, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to distribution of child pornography.

    According to admissions made during his plea, on November 27, 2022, Vining knowingly distributed the two images of child pornography when he uploaded them to a file sharing service accessed via the internet, and that allowed other users of the service around the world to download and share the images.  In addition, at the time Vining distributed the child pornography, he possessed files that contained numerous images and videos of child pornography.

    U.S. Attorney Ronald Gathe stated, “Our office will remain steadfast in the prosecution of the horrific crime of child pornography, a crime that preys on the most vulnerable, our youth.  I want to thank our Project Safe Childhood Partners, especially the U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency for their hard work in investigating this illegal act.”

    This matter was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Southeastern New Brunswick — RCMP issue 236 tickets during traffic enforcement operation

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A recent RCMP traffic enforcement operation in Southeastern New Brunswick has resulted in 75 vehicles being towed, and 236 tickets being issued.

    Between October 17 and 19, 2024, members of the New Brunswick RCMP’s Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit (TTEU) and Motor Vehicle Inspectors from the Highway Safety Enforcement Branch of the Department of Justice and Public Safety, worked together to conduct a traffic enforcement operation in the Greater Moncton area, Sussex, Petitcodiac, and Salisbury.

    The operation focused on unsafe vehicles and modified vehicles, as well as distracted driving, speeding, and proper use of seatbelts. During the operation, 125 vehicles were escorted to a specific site to be assessed, 66 were towed at the owner’s expense, and 48 were deemed unsafe.

    Several inspection stations will be investigated for not following the motor vehicle inspection procedures as per the New Brunswick – Motor vehicle Act.

    A total of 236 traffic violations were issued under the New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Act, including 81 for speeding, 18 unsafe vehicles, 31 tickets for not wearing a seatbelt and 28 tickets for using a hand-held electronic device while driving.

    Additionally, three individuals were issued a court date for driving while suspended, two other individuals were issued short-term roadside suspensions, and five individuals were arrested for warrants of arrest and committal. Three vehicles were also intercepted for speeding in excess of 50 km/hr of the posted speed limit were towed and impounded for seven days. A number of warnings were also issued.

    The New Brunswick RCMP’s TTEU conducts regular, targeted traffic enforcement on roadways throughout the province with the goals of improving road safety, educating motorists about traffic laws and to reduce serious injury and fatal collisions.

    “It is important to recognize that each individual has a role to play in ensuring the safety of our roads and communities,” says Sgt. Ghislain David with the Tactical Traffic Enforcement Unit. “Our primary objective is to safeguard the public by reducing the number of unsafe vehicles on our roadways.”

    The public can assist in keeping dangerous drivers off the road by reporting them to police. If you see a dangerous or a suspected impaired driver, call 911. Your description of the driver, vehicle, licence plate number and direction of travel can assist police in making New Brunswick roads safer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Names District Election Officer to Oversee the Handling of Complaints of Election Fraud and Voting Rights Abuses in the November 2024 General Election

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Khasigian will serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of California in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5 general election. The DEO is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, DC.

    The 34 counties in the Eastern District are: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba.

    “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

    In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Khasigian will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 916-554-2723.

    U.S. Attorney Talbert stated, “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by phone at 916-746-7000.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Martin City man charged with producing, distributing child pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MISSOULA — A Martin City man accused of producing and distributing images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct appeared on Oct. 22 for arraignment on charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

    The defendant, Raymond Owen Bonner, Jr., 39, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. If convicted, Bonner faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release on the production charge, and a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release on the distribution charge.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Bonner was detained pending further proceedings.

    The indictment alleges that between about June 2024 and Sept. 5, 2024 in Martin City, in Flathead County, Bonner coerced a minor, identified as Jane Doe, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual images and that he distributed visual images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct using a computer.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the Case. The FBI and Flathead County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

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

    Charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    PACER case reference. 24-57.

    The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 22nd, 2024 Heinrich Highlights New Ballistics Testing Machine in Las Cruces to Help Tackle Gun Violence & Solve Violent Crime in Southern New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, highlighted recent funding he’s secured for law enforcement to tackle gun violence, solve crimes, and hold criminals accountable in Southern New Mexico, including a new ballistics testing machine, known as a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) machine, for Las Cruces.
    Currently, there are only four NIBIN machines in New Mexico: two in Albuquerque, one in Santa Fe, and one on loan in Las Cruces, which the Las Cruces Police Department demonstrated today. Over $1 million Heinrich secured through the Appropriations process will add four new NIBIN machines for Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell.
    CAPTION: Heinrich visits with the Las Cruces Police Department to discuss funding he’s secured for a new NIBIN machine in Las Cruces, October 22, 2024.
    “A permanent NIBIN machine in Las Cruces will make a real difference in helping to solve violent crime in the region, allowing law enforcement to trace firearms used in crimes and hold criminals accountable, all while saving officers valuable time and resources,” said Heinrich. “When it comes to crime, my focus is on preventing what we can and solving it when we can’t. These machines will help us do both – solving the crimes that happen before those same criminals can do more harm. I will continue to deliver investments to support and better equip our law enforcement with the tools needed to keep New Mexicans safe.”
    NIBIN machines are vital to assisting law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting crimes involving firearms through ballistic intelligence.  
    The intelligence gathered by these NIBIN machines will go to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, where dedicated and trained analysts will use the information to trace and network firearms used in crimes across the state. The Center will then be able to feed that information back to law enforcement agencies to improve identification of suspects and support successful prosecutions. In addition to securing funding for the NIBIN machines, Heinrich secured language in the 2024 Appropriations Bill directing the expanded use of NIBIN for state and local agencies in the Southwest Border region.     
    Heinrich-secured funding for the Las Cruces Police Department
    Heinrich secured $194,000 in the 2024 Appropriations Bills for the Las Cruces Police Department to purchase equipment to safely analyze fentanyl and other illicit narcotics and create a community engagement effort to educate youth on the dangers of illicit drugs. 
    In the 2o23 Appropriations Bills, Heinrich secured $1,750,000 for the Las Cruces Police Department’s Regional Critical Response Team to purchase emergency response equipment to keep New Mexicans safe. The legislation also included $450,000 Heinrich secured for the Las Cruces Police Department to purchase camera trailers, drones, automatic license plate readers, and auto-activated car and body cameras to improve public safety and accountability. 
    For a list of Heinrich’s actions to support law enforcement and first responders across New Mexico, click here. 
    Heinrich’s longtime leadership to tackle gun violence:     
    A gun owner and father, Heinrich has long worked to advance and pass bipartisan policies that save lives, protect public safety, and reduce gun violence. 
    The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) was the first significant federal gun safety legislation to become law in 30 years. During the bill negotiations, Heinrich specifically worked with U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to increase criminal penalties for straw purchases and stop illegal gun trafficking out of our country.  
    Heinrich-led gun trafficking and straw purchase provisions:
    Heinrich-led provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increased criminal penalties for straw purchasers and made it a crime, for the first time ever, to traffic firearms out of the United States. Straw purchasers are people who buy guns for those who cannot buy them directly themselves due to their age, felony criminal convictions, or other limitations. By increasing penalties for straw purchasing, Heinrich’s provision is helping to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those who would use them against our communities. By making it illegal to traffic firearms out of the country, Heinrich’s provision gave law enforcement the tools needed to prosecute and disrupt the flow of firearms to Mexico and the Northern Triangle, fueling the violence that has driven so many to flee their home countries.  
    To date, the Department of Justice has charged more than 600 defendants using BSCA’s gun trafficking and straw purchasing laws, removing hundreds of firearms off the streets in the process. These cases are significant, often preventing and prosecuting highly dangerous activity, such as crimes linked to organized trafficking rings and transnational criminal organizations.  
    For example, in March 2024, the Justice Department charged several defendants with trafficking and straw purchasing over 100 firearms, including many military-grade weapons, that were allegedly intended to be smuggled to a Mexican drug cartel. In April, a defendant was sentenced to 276 months in prison for firearms trafficking and straw purchasing, as well as distribution of fentanyl, where the evidence showed that two of the trafficked firearms had been used in gang-related shootings. Late last year, a defendant was sentenced to two years in prison for running an illegal gun trafficking enterprise, repeatedly taking money to lie on firearm purchase forms and obtain weapons for convicted felons. 
    In New Mexico, the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico has charged 11 defendants with BSCA violations.  
    In June, Heinrich brought his Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act, bipartisan legislation to ban bump stocks, to the Senate floor through a unanimous consent (UC) request. The effort directly followed a recent Supreme Court ruling to overturn a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, devices designed to indiscriminately kill the highest number of people in the shortest amount of time. U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), objected to Heinrich’s UC request, blocking passage of the legislation. Since the Supreme Court ruling, over 20 senators have signed onto Heinrich’s BUMP Act, bringing support up to over a quarter of the Senate.  
    Heinrich, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and former Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) initially introduced the BUMP Act in the 115th Congress, following the October 1, 2017, mass shooting in which a bump stock was used to fire more than 1,000 bullets into a crowd in just 10 minutes, killing 60 people. U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) also cosponsored that legislation.  
    Last November, Heinrich introduced the Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act, legislation to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. In addition to regulating the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons, the GOSAFE Act would prevent unlawful modifications of permissible firearms, including bump stocks. Earlier this summer, Heinrich announced that his GOSAFE Act has been introduced in the House by U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-Ga.).       
    In July 2023, Heinrich cosponsored the bicameral Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act, led by Blumenthal, to require online and other sellers of gun-making kits to comply with federal firearm safety regulations.      
    In 2017, Heinrich cosponsored the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, which now requires federal and state authorities to produce background check implementation plans and holds federal agencies accountable for reporting relevant criminal records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). He also led the successful call to repeal the Dickey Amendment, which had previously prevented the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding research on gun violence and its effects on public health. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Coffeewood Prison Guard Sentenced to 40 Years on Child Exploitation, Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former prison officer at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, Virginia, was sentenced this week to 40 years in federal prison on a series of federal charges related to child sexual exploitation and child pornography.

    Davey Jonathan Sisk, 30, of Culpeper, Virginia, pled guilty in June to two counts of sexually exploiting and attempting to sexually exploit a child as well as one count of receiving child pornography.

    According to court documents, Sisk used the social media application “Telegram” to engage another individual, Anna Layher, to create videos and photos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and then send to him. These videos and photos involved victims as young as three years old.  Anna Layher, who was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia for her role in sexually exploiting these victims, also received a 40-year sentence in September 2024.

    In addition, from 2021 through 2022, a 12-year-old minor living in Texas engaged in sexual intercourse with another minor child and then sold videos and images of these sexual encounters on the internet through various social media applications, including Snapchat. Sisk admitted to using the Snapchat username “JAKESMOOT2021” and to paying over $450 through Cash App to the 12-year-old minor in exchange for multiple sexually explicit images and videos.

    United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.

    Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg, VA and Washington, D.C. investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.

    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 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Postal Employee Arrested For COVID Relief Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

     Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Marina Tusca Brooks Stewart (61, Groveland) on an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud related to COVID relief. If convicted, Brooks Stewart faces up to 20 years in federal prison. In addition, she faces a forfeiture order of $10,000, which represents the alleged proceeds she obtained through this offense. 

    According to court documents, during the COVID pandemic, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) offered Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advances that did not need to be repaid. The advances were for small businesses that were in low-income communities and received a reduction in revenue of more than 30% during an eight-week period. Between June 28 and 30, 2020, Brooks Stewart devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by electronically applying for an EIDL advance and providing false representations in her application. Afterwards, she fraudulently received a $10,000 EIDL advance.

    An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. 

    This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Attorney General Bonta Issues Statement on Trump Administration’s Anti-Abortion Actions

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, January 24, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to President Trump pardoning 23 individuals convicted under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, his U.S. Department of Justice limiting enforcement of that law, and the President issuing new Executive Orders targeting abortion rights:

    “President Trump may say that he cares about law and order, but his recent pardons tell a very different story. He has pardoned over 1,500 individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Not only did those individuals try to stop the peaceful transfer of power, many of them violently assaulted law enforcement officers. Now, he has pardoned people whose actions threatened, harassed, and harmed abortion patients, providers, and clinics.  

    California has been and will continue to be a safe haven for reproductive rights. With the news that the Trump Administration will also be limiting enforcement of the federal FACE Act and that the President has signed Executive Orders targeting abortion rights, we will not hesitate to take up the mantle of safety and access that they are abandoning. State law — specifically, the California FACE Act — requires that people have access to abortion care safely, confidentially, and in a timely manner. If any person infringes on that right, they can and will be held accountable by my office or local prosecutors.”  

    BACKGROUND AND RESOURCES

    The California Attorney General’s Office has also put together a training video on the California FACE Act, which can be viewed here. A copy of the training video materials can be accessed here and here.  

    The following resources also provide relevant information: 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Casper man sentenced to 10 years for transportation of a minor for sex

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    James Warren Martin, 38, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, with a lifetime of supervised release, for transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. This sentence is to run concurrently with his 37-to-45-year sentence imposed in Wyoming’s Seventh Judicial District state court for his victimization of the same minor. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 23, in Casper.

    According to court documents, the defendant was brought to the attention of law enforcement in October of 2022 when the minor victim’s family member and guardian reported to the Casper Police Department that a male, identified as James Warren Martin, was grooming the girl. Detectives began investigating Martin. Then, on Nov. 16, 2022, Martin picked up the girl from school and fled the state with her. An Amber Alert was issued in Wyoming. Investigators determined that Martin and the minor victim may have been in Arizona. An Amber Alert was also issued in Arizona.

    A deputy with the La Paz County (Ariz.) Sheriff’s Office located Martin and the minor victim in Arizona. Law enforcement arrested Martin and rescued the girl. Electronic evidence showed Martin intended to take the girl to Mexico. Evidence also proved Martin had sexual intercourse with the girl after taking her from Wyoming. Martin was interviewed and ultimately confessed to having sexual intercourse with the girl numerous times in Natrona County, Wyoming in the years before taking her to Arizona.

    Martin was indicted on Jan. 11, 2023, and entered federal custody on July 15, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2024.

    The Casper Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and La Paz County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the federal crime. The Natrona County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted the accompanying state crimes.

    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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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.

    Case No. 23-CR-00005

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dyersburg Man Sentenced in Federal and State Courts

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

    Jackson, TN – A Dyersburg man was recently sentenced to prison in both federal and state courts for sexual abuse. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, and Danny H. Goodman, Jr., District Attorney General for the Twenty-Ninth Judicial District, jointly announced the sentence today.

    According to the information presented in court, Robert Galler, 52, traveled to Iowa in 2020 and returned to Tennessee with a victim, identified as Minor A in the indictment. In 2022, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services received a referral of sexual abuse at Galler’s residence in Dyersburg. Upon arrival, DCS workers encountered three minor females who each alleged sexual and physical abuse by Galler. The victims underwent forensic interviews with the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse detailing the abuse, which had occurred continually over four years.

    On September 11, 2024, Galler pled guilty in federal court to transporting a minor with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. On January 8, 2025, Senior United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Galler to 300 months in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release and lifetime placement on the sex offender registry. There is no parole in the federal system.

    Following federal sentencing, Galler returned to state custody. On January 21, 2025, he entered guilty pleas to one count of rape of a child and one count of rape. Dyer County Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes sentenced Galler to 25 years’ imprisonment, placement on the sex offender registry, and lifetime supervision. Pursuant to state law, Galler must serve 100% of the sentence. The sentences between both courts were ordered to run concurrently.

    District Attorney General Danny H. Goodman, Jr., who assigned Andrew Hays as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, stated, “I would first like to thank Assistant District Attorney, Andrew Hays, for the time he dedicated to this case. The goal of the Office of the District Attorney General is to seek justice on behalf of the State of Tennessee and victims of crime. This case is a perfect example of how the partnership with our office and the United States Department of Justice allowed us to accomplish that goal. This office will always prosecute crimes involving children with as much zeal as possible.”

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, and the Dyersburg Police Department.

    Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hays for the Western District of Tennessee, who prosecuted the case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated it.  

    ###

    For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Leads Multistate Coalition to Defend NHTSA’s Fuel-Economy Standards for Passenger Vehicles and Trucks

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    OAKLAND — On behalf of California and leading a multistate coalition of 15 attorneys general, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an amicus brief in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA)’s fuel-economy standards for passenger cars, light trucks, and heavy-duty trucks. The NHTSA standards are designed to enhance fuel efficiency for vehicles and benefit consumers across the country. Currently, Republican-led states and oil industry groups are not only challenging these federal fuel-economy standards but also using their lawsuit to attack California’s unrelated zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standards. The amicus brief explains why that attack on state-law emission standards—designed to reduce smog-forming and planet-warming air pollution—has no place in a challenge to federal-law fuel efficiency standards.

    “Efficient vehicles and clean vehicles should not be partisan issues. Yet, we continue to see politically motivated attacks,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We are at a critical juncture in protecting our people and the environment, and that’s why, I, alongside attorneys general nationwide, are unwavering in our commitment to defend these standards that will better protect our communities.”

    The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) requires NHTSA to prescribe Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards at the “maximum feasible” average fuel economy level that manufacturers can achieve. These standards are intended to conserve fuel, which, in turn, saves consumers money at the pump, insulates the U.S. from global oil price instability, and reduces the impact of oil consumption on public health and the environment. Last June, NHTSA announced updated standards for model years 2027 to 2031 requiring automakers to achieve higher fuel efficiency across their fleets of cars as well as light and heavy-duty trucks. NHTSA projects that the 2027-31 standards will save consumers nearly $23 billion in fuel costs by reducing gasoline consumption by about 70 billion gallons, which will also prevent 710 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions through 2050.

    In trying to undo those fuel-economy standards, the challengers argue NHTSA is required to develop CAFE standards as if the millions of electric vehicles that automakers sell do not exist. That fiction would lead to artificially low, do-nothing standards, and NHTSA was right to reject it. The challengers also fault NHTSA’s model of the auto industry for recognizing that automakers are already selling electric vehicles at levels consistent with California’s ZEV standards. The challengers have used NHTSA’s modeling as an excuse to attempt to shoehorn into their lawsuit a claim that California’s ZEV standards are unlawful based on a baseless theory that courts rejected over a decade ago.  

    California’s ZEV standards are a critical component of California’s vehicle emissions program that protects Californians against the health and environmental effects of vehicle exhaust pollutants including ozone, particulate matter, and toxic emissions. These emission standards have nothing to do with federal fuel-economy standards, and the Clean Air Act explicitly allows California to set its own vehicle emissions standards. The Clean Air Act also allows other states to adopt those standards for themselves if they choose.

    In the amicus brief, the coalition expresses support for NHTSA’s stringent fuel-economy standards while defending California’s ZEV standards against the challengers’ improper collateral attack. Specifically, the amicus brief highlights that a federal rule challenge is the wrong place to attack state laws.

    Attorney General Bonta leads the attorneys general of Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia in filing this amicus brief. 

    A copy of the amicus brief can be found here.

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Hosts Fifth Regional Convening on Immigrant Rights in San Diego

    Source: US State of California

    SAN DIEGO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today held the fifth and final in a series of regional convenings with immigrant rights groups, elected officials, and others in San Diego, California. During the convening, the Attorney General and California Department of Justice (CADOJ) staff shared resources, heard concerns, and discussed CADOJ’s ongoing efforts to protect California’s immigrant communities. Over the past two months, the Attorney General has released a number of guidances to help California immigrants better understand their rights and protections under the law and assist law enforcement, prosecutors, and public institutions in complying with state law. The resources, many available in multiple languages, can be accessed at oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources.

    “We’ve been preparing for this day for months – hearing concerns through these regional convenings and issuing guidance for immigrants, local law enforcement, prosecutors, school officials, and public institutions, all in anticipation of the President attempting to see through his destructive immigration agenda,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m disappointed, but not surprised, by the President’s executive orders. But I want to be clear that California will not waiver in its commitment to upholding the rights and protections of all of our residents, including the nearly 11 million immigrants who call this state home. We hear your concerns, and we will continue to use the full force of the law and tools of this office to stand up for you.” 

    Know Your Immigration Rights and Protections Under the Law  

    • You have the right to apply for and secure housing without sharing your immigration status. California law prohibits housing providers from asking about your immigration status unless you are applying for affordable housing funded by the federal government. Additionally, housing providers cannot harass or intimidate you by threatening or sharing information about your immigration status to ICE, law enforcement, or other government agencies.
    • You have the right to access emergency medical care. Federal laws and regulations ensure the rights of all people to access emergency medical care, including undocumented immigrants.
    • You have the right to an attorney. If you are arrested by police, you have the right to a government-appointed attorney. If you are detained by ICE and/or are facing immigration proceedings, you have the right to seek legal assistance through an attorney. 
    • State and local law enforcement cannot ask for your immigration status. California law expressly prohibits law enforcement from inquiring about a person’s immigration status for immigration enforcement purposes.
    • State and local law enforcement cannot share your personal information. This includes sharing your home or work address for immigration purposes, unless that information is available to the public or unless that information involves previous criminal arrest, convictions or similar criminal history.
    • State and local law enforcement cannot assist ICE with immigration enforcement, with very limited exceptions. This means they cannot investigate, cannot interrogate, cannot arrest, and cannot detain you unless it is as part of joint federal task force where the primary purpose is not immigration enforcement.  

    Guidance for Immigrant Students and Families

    • Right to a Free Public Education: All children have a right to equal access to free public education, regardless of their or their parents’/guardians’ immigration status.
    • Information Required for School Enrollment: Schools must accept a variety of documents from the student’s parent or guardian to demonstrate proof of child’s age or residency and schools are not required to keep a copy of the document used as proof of a child’s age.
    • Confidentiality of Personal Information: Federal and state laws protect student education records and personal information. These laws generally require that schools obtain written consent from parents or guardians before releasing student information, unless the release of information is for educational purposes, is already public, or is in response to a court order or subpoena.

    Protect Yourself from Immigration Scams

    If you need help applying for immigration relief, be careful who you hire. Watch out for immigration scams that can cost you thousands of dollars and/or harm your immigration status! Here are some tips and resources to help: 

    • Go to a legitimate legal aid organization for free legal help. Many nonprofit organizations provide free immigration help to low-income individuals, such as those found through the resources below. To find a legal aid organization near you, go to lawhelpca.org. 
    • Keep your original documents in a safe place. Don’t give your original documents to anyone unless you see proof that the government requires the original document. If you give someone an original, they may lose it or refuse to return it unless you pay them.
    • Do not hire an immigration consultant or a notary. Only lawyers, accredited representatives, and recognized organizations can give you legal advice or represent you in immigration court. Immigration consultants – who may call themselves immigration experts, notarios, notaries public, or paralegals – cannot do so.
    • Do not give money or personal information to anyone who calls, texts, or emails you claiming that there is a problem with your immigration matter. No federal or state agency, including USCIS, will ever ask for your personal information or payment over the phone, by email, or text.  

    Resources for the Reporting of and Response to Hate Crimes 

    In light of the President’s xenophobic rhetoric and an anticipated uptick in hostility toward immigrant communities, the Attorney General issued updated guidance and resources for law enforcement, prosecutors, and victims of hate crimes: 

    Guidance and Model Policies for Public institutions 

    Attorney General Bonta issued updated guidance to help staff develop practical plans to protect the rights of immigrants and their families to safely access public institutions by limiting support of immigration enforcement activity at these institutions. While the guidance is tailored to certain types of public institutions, any institution that is accessible to the public may choose to adopt a similar policy to protect the rights and safety of their patrons.   

    Guidance for State and Local Law Enforcement

    Attorney General Bonta issued an updated bulletin describing local and state law enforcement agencies’ obligations under SB 54, which prohibits the use of state and local resources to assist with federal immigration enforcement, with very limited exceptions.  The bulletin can be found here.

    Guidance for Prosecutors and Defense Counsel

    The Attorney General issued new guidance to provide defense counsel and prosecutors with information regarding their obligations under Section 1016.3 of the Penal Code to affirmatively let defendants know about the immigration consequences of a proposed plea deal. A copy of the guidance is available here.

    Access Free and Low-Cost Legal Assistance 

    Visit Law Help CA or Immigration Law Help to find immigration assistance near you.

    File a Complaint 

    If you believe your rights have been violated, report it to the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/report. 

    If you believe you were subject to discrimination, harassment or retaliation, report it to the California Civil Rights Department at calcivilrights.ca.gov/complaintprocess/.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hamara Samvidhan – Hamara Swabhiman Campaign

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Hamara Samvidhan – Hamara Swabhiman Campaign

     Event organised at Parmarth Triveni Pushp, Arail Ghat, Prayagraj

    Posted On: 24 JAN 2025 8:04PM by PIB Delhi

    The campaign of the ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Swabhiman’ is being organised to commemorate 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution and India’s establishment as a Republic. An event to mark the occasion was successfully organised today at the Parmarth Triveni Pushp, Arail Ghat, Prayagraj from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. This event was fourth in the series of regional events organised as a part of a year-long nationwide campaign. This event was organised under the aegis of the Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA) scheme which is implemented by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India.

    The event was graced by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, who delivered the keynote address on the occasion. Shri Meghwal emphasized the importance of Constitutional awareness and legal empowerment.  H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, the President and Spiritual Head of Parmarth Niketan, attended the event as the Guest of Honor. Pujya Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, International Director, Parmarth Niketan attended program as an esteemed guest.

    Welcoming the dignitaries on the dais and the audience, Secretary (Justice) DoJ, shared about the various elements of the Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Swabhiman Campaign and the releases of three products which were launched in the event- Achievement Booklet on Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman campaign highlighting the achievements of the yearlong activities, Department of Justice’s Calendar for the year 2025 which captures the glimpses of the important events of the Department of Justice. The third release is the movie on Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman campaign showcasing the activities under the campaign.

    The event featured addresses by dignitaries, including keynote address by Hon’ble MoS (I/C) for Law and Justice and Guest of Honour.

    Highlighting the significance of the event H.H. Pujya Swami Ji reflected the Constitution of India as fundamental law of the land focussing on “Jaha sab Saman Sabka Samman, yahi hai Bharat ka Samvidhan” He stressed upon that this program is a symbolic significance of Sangam at Maha Kumbh where the message of unity is sent across the world from Sangam. He believed that a nation’s strength lies in its people and character. He also emphasised that we should not concentrate on What’s for me but focus on What’s through me. He also mentioned that we gathered here to respect the 75 glorious years of Constitution of India which have protected the respect of the nation. He also emphasised the need for all the government employees to work on the larger goal of the nation which is by turning the focus from VETAN to WATAN.  

    Sadhvi Ji highlighted the importance of India’s rich heritage, emphasising its culture, Sanskriti and Dharam, and stated that no other country embodies such profound morals and values. She emphasised “Bharat ka jo culture, Sanskriti, Dharam hai wo aur Vishwa me Kahin Nahi hai”. We must believe in ourselves by trusting the values enshrined in Sanatan and Samvidhan because here lies the ultimate beauty. Country attained Swaraj long ago, now it is time to free our minds from shackles of caste, colour, language and religion.

    Addressing the audience, Hon’ble Minister reflected that Constitution of India protects the citizens of the nation.  He further mentioned about the importance of Rashtra Gaan which was adopted on 24th January,1950. He stressed that the national flag and Rashtra Gaan though adopted on different dates, compliment and supplement each other at any formal occasion. He said that the three events of ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ of today, Matdata Divas(Voter’s Day) day after and Republic Day on 26th January, represents the symbolic confluence of Ganga, Jamuna, Saraswati at Sangam.

    He stressed that female students should be empowered and used as a medium to spread to inherent message of Constitution among the masses by making them “Nyaya Sakhis”.  He also compared the significance of this event at Maha Kumbh is the symbolic reference to the Triveni -Sangam showcasing the convergences of three organs of the Government i.e. Legislative, Executive and Judiciary.

    Under the tenure of current Union Law Minister, one national event and three regional events have been conducted under Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman campaign. Furthermore, to take this initiative forward, the campaign will now be called as “Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Swabhiman”. A copy of the Preamble of Constitution of India as a plaque were presented to the dignitaries of the event. Shri Niraj Kumar Gayagi, Joint Secretary, Department of Justice presented a vote of thanks.

    More than 2000 participants attended the event, including Hon’ble Judges of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, members of Allahabad High Court Bar Association, students and faculty of various schools, colleges, along with Central and State government representatives, devotees of Maha Kumbh and the volunteers of Parmarth Niketan. Grassroot functionaries of CSC and general public joined the event virtually which was made live on Facebook, Youtube, Doordarshan etc. In addition, several stakeholders of the Department of Justice joined the event virtually, contributing to the event’s outreach and inclusivity.

    The ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ campaign, which was officially launched by the Hon’ble Vice President of India on 24th January 2024 at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, has aimed to promote the understanding of the Indian Constitution and raise awareness about legal rights among citizens. As part of its efforts, regional events have been organized across the country, with Bikaner, Prayagraj, Guwahati already hosting successful events in the past year.

    In addition to the regional events, the campaign has also launched sub-campaigns like Sabko Nyaya Har Ghar Nyaya, Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp, and Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyaan, to simplify legal information and spread awareness about citizens’ rights. Active participation is encouraged through the ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ portal, where citizens can engage with various resources and legal services.

    The success of today’s event further strengthened the campaign’s core message: empowering citizens with the knowledge and tools to protect their rights through legal mechanisms, with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility.

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    SB/

    (Release ID: 2095956) Visitor Counter : 16

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Cramer Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Firefighters with Service-Related Cancers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) reintroduced the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. The bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously (21-0) out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses.

    The legislation is being introduced in honor of Michael Paidar, a St. Paul fire captain who died of an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia on August 26, 2020 while still working for the fire department. In 2021, after strong advocacy from the Paidar family, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety awarded line-of-duty benefits to Captain Paidar’s widow Julie. This was the first time that a firefighter’s family had received benefits for cancer incurred in the line-of-duty through Minnesota’s state Public Safety Officer Benefits program. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program. 

    This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Banks (R-IN), Barrasso (R-WY), Blackburn (R-TN), Blumenthal (D-CT), Coons (D-DE), Cornyn (R-TX), Cruz (R-TX), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Fetterman (D-PA), Fischer (R-NE), Graham (R-SC), Hirono (D-HI), Hoeven (R-ND), Justice (R-WV), Kelly (D-AZ), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Rounds (R-SD), Schiff (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Sheehy (R-MT), Smith (D-MN), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Welch (D-VT), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR). 

    “As we are seeing in California and throughout the country, our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often exposing themselves to carcinogens that can have lethal long-term effects. It’s unacceptable that firefighters who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why I’m working with Senator Cramer to ensure that firefighters get the support they deserve. Our bipartisan legislation will honor the memory and sacrifice of St. Paul Fire Department Captain Mike Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.”

    “Our first responders epitomize courage and selfless sacrifice, confronting both the immediate perils of their duty and lingering health risks associated with their service,” said Cramer. “The exposure to dangerous carcinogens happens on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear these burdens alone.”

    “Firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line without a second thought to protect California communities from the devastating Southern California wildfires,” said Padilla. “When they sacrifice their lives or face severe disabilities due to service-related cancers, we have a shared duty to help get their families back on their feet.”

    “Our first responders risk everything for us – from the front lines of wildfires to the unseen lines of duty that keep our communities safe. When they lose their lives to service-related cancers, their families deserve the full measure of support they’ve earned. No one who has lost so much should be left to face hardship alone,” said Schiff.

    The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program provides benefits to the survivors of fire fighters; law enforcement officers; and other first responders who are killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

    The Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.

    The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), as well as the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA); Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI); Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA); Fraternal Order of Police (FOP); International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA); Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs); National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO); National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF); National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC); National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC); and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD. 

    “I’m grateful to Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for introducing the bipartisan Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act. Every day, our nation’s first responders selflessly serve and protect their communities. Unfortunately, through exposures on the job, many are also fighting occupational cancer. As our family knows firsthand, the lives of the first responder and their family are forever changed upon the cancer diagnosis. Mike loved being a career firefighter and paramedic. Losing him to Leukemia in 2020 was devastating not only for our family, but also for his fire family and our communities. This important legislation will recognize the sacrifices of our fallen, allowing first responders and their families to receive the PSOB benefits they rightly deserve,” said Julie Paidar, widow of St. Paul Fire Captain Michael Paidar.

    “There are thousands of firefighters across the United States that are in the fight for their life battling cancers that they should never get and hundreds more receiving a diagnosis daily.  In 2022, 75% of firefighter Line of Duty Deaths (LODD) were due to occupational cancer. Saint Paul Firefighters IAFF Local 21 will always remember Captain Mike Paidar as a fit, healthy man, a loving father, doting husband and a courageous firefighter, who loved his job and went to work each day with a smile on his face to care for people that needed his help. Sadly, Mike died from his job related exposure to known carcinogens. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act makes it possible for us to preserve Mike’s dignity and care for his family, just as he did for so many others during their time of need. This is what we want to be Mike’s legacy, ” said Kyle Thornberg, President of St. Paul International Association of Fire Fighters Local 21.

    “Cancer is ravaging the fire service and is the leading cause of line of duty deaths. Medical studies and commonsense prove this epidemic comes from our exposures to toxins in smoke, vehicle exhaust, and even our own protective gear. In 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer found this evidence so clear that they classified the occupation of firefighting itself as a Group 1 carcinogen – their highest and most dangerous level. However, when fire fighters succumb to job-related cancer, their families are left with nothing and denied critically-needed death benefits. It is unconscionable to abandon fallen fire fighters’ families when they need help most. The IAFF applauds Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for standing with fire fighters’ families and ensuring they don’t fall through the cracks. The Honor Act will rightfully recognize our cancer deaths as line of duty deaths and provide families with sorely needed death benefits. We urge Congress to pass the Honor Act immediately and send a lifeline to families who have already sacrificed a loved one for our nation,” said Edward Kelly, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

    “Firefighters face an increased risk of cancer due to the hazardous nature of their jobs. The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program should reflect the scope of the risks faced by our nation’s first responders, including occupational cancer. We look forward to working with Senators Klobuchar and Cramer to ensure that firefighters and their families receive the benefits they need and deserve,” said Bill Webb, Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute.

    “Modern medicine often struggles to link an officer’s medical condition directly to a specific on-the-job incident; however, federal law enforcement officers face significant carcinogenic exposure in the line of duty, especially as first responders to large-scale chemical, radiological, or biological incidents. Unfortunately, the current Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) system denies many officers earned benefits due to these scientific limitations. We commend Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for introducing legislation to align the PSOB system with the real-world risks faced by law enforcement. This bill is a vital step toward ensuring officers receive the support they deserve,” said Mathew Silverman, National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

    “We are grateful to Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for their leadership on this issue. Our law enforcement officers are in harm’s way each and every day. They are exposed not only to physical threats, but also unseen or unknown threats while operating in potentially hazardous environments. Public safety officers who are exposed to known carcinogens and who contract cancer that ends their lives or disables them should be considered to have sustained a personal injury in the line of duty for the purposes of the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program. The Klobuchar-Cramer bill, which had 37 cosponsors and cleared the Judiciary Committee unanimously will do just that,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police.

    “I thank Senator Klobuchar and the bill’s cosponsors for re-introducing the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. Cancer remains a major cause of death for firefighters across the nation. It is time for the nation to recognize the families that have lost loved ones due to cancer caused by modern-day firefighting. We owe them a debt of gratitude and should take care of them,” said Chief Josh Waldo, President and Board Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

    “The Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) strongly supports the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act and applauds Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for their leadership. This bipartisan legislation ensures that families of first responders who lose their lives to service-related cancer receive the benefits they deserve. Our first responders put their lives on the line daily, facing not just immediate dangers but long-term health risks from carcinogen exposure. Supporting their families through these benefits strengthens our public safety community and honors the sacrifices made by those who serve,” said Megan Noland, Executive Director of the Major County Sheriffs of America.

    “Our nation’s public safety officers put their lives at risk every day. Sometimes unnoticed are the officers pulling families from burning cars or saving children from house fires or responding to disasters such as the wildfires in Los Angeles. These acts of heroism often have long-term consequences for the officers, including exposure-related cancers. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act recognizes these as line-of-duty injuries under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program and ensures that officers suffering from these cancers and their families get the benefits they have earned. We stand with Senators Klobuchar and Cramer in support of this bill and thank them for championing this important issue,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations.

    “The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation expresses our steadfast support of the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act. Multiple studies have shown that firefighters have an increased risk of cancer compared to the general public. These men and women put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities, and as a result, are exposed to a variety of carcinogens through the very nature of their work, including exposure to hazardous materials, toxic smoke, and other environmental factors. The federal government must recognize their sacrifice, and the families of public safety officers who die or are permanently disabled as a result of occupational cancer should have access to benefits provided by the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program. We commend Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for championing this important legislation,” said Victor Stagnaro, Chief Executive Officer of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

    “NFPA urges Congress to approve the HONOR Act which has strong bipartisan support. As a nation, we must honor firefighters lost to occupational cancer and provide support to the families they leave behind,” said Jim Pauley, President and CEO of the National Fire Protection Association.

    “Too often battles with occupational related cancer leave first responders permanently disabled or leave their survivors financially struggling after their passing. I applaud Senators Klobuchar and Cramer for introducing the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025. This important legislation will provide much needed support to first responder and their families as they face the aftermath of occupational cancer by providing coverage for certain exposure-related cancers under the Public Safety Officers Benefit program,”said Steve Hirsch, Chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council. 

    “For more than twenty years, we have seen firsthand the devasting toll that cancer has taken among the heroes who responded to the 9/11 attacks. The ongoing health crisis among 9/11 responders has also brought to light other serious and long-term health risks that public safety officers across this country face from job-related exposures to known carcinogens. That is why the SBA is proud to join with Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Cramer again in advocating for swift passage of the ‘Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act’ to ensure PSOB benefits for the families of those who succumb to job-related cancers,” said Vincent Vallelong, President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD.

    Klobuchar has long led efforts to support firefighters and first responders. Klobuchar co-led bipartisan legislation to create a national cancer registry for firefighters diagnosed with the deadly disease was signed into law in 2018 and reauthorized last year. The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act calls on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor and study the relationship between career-long exposure to dangerous fumes and toxins and the incidence of cancer in firefighters.

    Klobuchar also worked to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act which was signed into law in 2023, and continues funding for the Assistance for Firefighters Grant and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant programs. The Assistance for Firefighters Grant program helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources. The SAFER Grants program provides direct funding to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to increase or maintain the number of trained, “front line” firefighters and enhance their capacity to comply with staffing, response, and operational standards.

    Klobuchar also worked to pass the Protecting America’s First Responders Act, which was signed into law in 2021. This legislation improves the PSOB program by allowing benefit amounts to be calculated based on the date of the award and account for cost of living increases.

    Klobuchar also co-led legislation to retrofit older high-rise apartment buildings with sprinkler systems and help prevent future tragedies like the Cedar High Apartments fire, which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2019.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle Pesticides into the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Ruben Montes of Calexico, California, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States.

    In pleading guilty, the defendant acknowledged that since at least November 2020, he coordinated the smuggling of pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States. Montes also admitted to smuggling the chemicals and drugs into the United States from Mexico himself and distributing them within the United States. The primary pesticides involved were Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tylocet, Terramicina, Tetragent Ares and Catarrol, which are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.

    Montes admitted that he and others hid the pesticides and veterinary drugs in storage units in Calexico and retrieved them for distribution throughout the United States.

    According to experts at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees, if it is released into hives, and humans when it ultimately ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz has been documented in multiple animal species, and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia.

    “These substances not only threaten the health and safety of our communities but also undermine the integrity of U.S. regulatory safeguards designed to protect consumers and the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Our office is committed to holding accountable those who prioritize profit over public safety.”

    “The defendant’s conduct put consumer’s health and the honeybee industry at risk,” said Benjamin Carr, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in California. “The pesticides he distributed were smuggled into the United States from Mexico. The illegal use of amitraz puts adulterated honey in the marketplace and contributes to pest resistance threatening honeybee colonies vital for our food production. The defendant in this case made millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains through the illegal sale of this unregistered pesticide.”

    “Today’s guilty plea is the result of a long-term Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation, worked in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), into an organization that conspired to smuggle Mexican pesticides into the U.S.,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in San Diego.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice criminals who introduce substances that threaten the safety of our communities.”

    “The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully obtained, distributed, and dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription from a licensed veterinarian,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who attempt to evade the law.”

    The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Houston on April 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabet Brown from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte from the Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

    DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 23CR2377                             

    Ruben Montes                                     Age: 60                                               Calexico, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 371

    Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Homeland Security Investigations

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigations Division

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations

    California Department of Toxic Substances Control

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Extradited to the United States for Fentanyl Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today charging Honduran national Abner Estrada Cruz, 25, with conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams fentanyl and seven counts of distributing fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    Estrada Cruz was extradited from Honduras to the United States to face the charges against him.

    The indictment stems from a two-year DEA-led multi-agency investigation into a Honduran fentanyl drug trafficking ring operating out of Honduras, San Francisco, California, and Portland, Oregon. During the course of the investigation, DEA seized more than 16 pounds of fentanyl powder trafficked into the Eastern District of California from Estrada Cruz’s co-conspirators. Those co-conspirators – Yahir Alexander Arteaga Cruz, Carlos Samir Colindrez-Erazo, and Aronis Jose Hernandez Aguilar – have been charged in the same conspiracy by separate indictment in the Eastern District of California in Sacramento (2:24-cr-0246-DAD). Several additional members of the Drug Trafficking Organization were indicted in the District of Oregon in Portland.

    Estrada Cruz acted as the operations manager of the organization, taking orders, arranging deliveries, and helping to run the organization from San Francisco, Portland, and Honduras. He was arrested in Honduras and surrendered to the United States following extradition proceedings.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the California Department of Justice Bureau of Investigation Fentanyl Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Honduras to secure the arrest and extradition of Estrada Cruz.

    If convicted of the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, Estrada Cruz faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The specific mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of California. OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, USMS, ATF, USPIS, BLM, USFS, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the California National Guard, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, and the Central Valley California HIDTA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfizer Agrees to Pay Nearly 60M to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Physician Payments by Subsidiary

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Note: View the settlement here.

    Pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer), on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (Biohaven), has agreed to pay $59,746,277 to resolve allegations that, prior to Pfizer’s acquisition of the company, Biohaven knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to health care providers to induce prescriptions of Biohaven’s drug Nurtec ODT.

    “Through this settlement and others, the government has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that drug companies do not use kickbacks to influence physician prescribing,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will use every tool at its disposal to prevent pharmaceutical manufacturers from undermining the objectivity of treatment decisions by health care providers.”

    The anti‑kickback statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.

    The settlement announced today resolves allegations that from March 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2022, Biohaven paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high end restaurants, to health care professionals to induce them to prescribe the migraine medication Nurtec ODT in violation of the anti-kickback statute. The United States alleged that Biohaven selected certain health care providers to be part of the Nurtec speaker bureau and provided them paid speaking opportunities with the intent that the speaker honoraria and meals would induce them to prescribe Nurtec ODT. The government further alleged that certain prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic received no educational benefit from attending repeat programs and that certain Biohaven speaker programs were attended by individuals with no educational need to attend, such as the speakers’ spouses, family members, or friends, or colleagues from the speakers’ own medical practice. The United States contends that this conduct persisted until October 2022, when Pfizer acquired Biohaven and terminated the Nurtec speaker programs.    

    “Patients deserve to know that their doctor is prescribing medications based on their doctor’s medical judgment, and not as a result of financial incentives from pharmaceutical companies,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “This settlement reflects our commitment to hold those who violate the laws accountable, regardless of their status or prestige.”

    “Violations of the anti-kickback statute, such as those alleged in this settlement, can unduly influence prescribers and negatively impact taxpayer-funded health care,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with law enforcement partners to ensure that providers and corporations are held accountable if they attempt to bypass laws meant to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.”

    “Investigating schemes that undermine the integrity of TRICARE, the health care system for military members and their families, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to work with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice to pursue corporations that attempt to corrupt the TRICARE system.”

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Patrica Frattasio, a former sales representative at Biohaven. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Patricia Frattasio v. Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., No. 6:21-CV-06539 (W.D.N.Y.). Approximately $50.2 million of the settlement constitutes the federal portion of the recovery and approximately $9.5 million constitutes a recovery for State Medicaid programs. Ms. Frattasio will receive approximately $8.4 million as her share of the federal recovery in this case.   

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

    Trial Attorney Jessica Sarkis of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell for the Western District of New York handled the matter.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pfizer Agrees to Pay Nearly 60M to Resolve False Claims Allegations Relating to Improper Physician Payments by Subsidiary

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Note: View the settlement here.

    Pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer), on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (Biohaven), has agreed to pay $59,746,277 to resolve allegations that, prior to Pfizer’s acquisition of the company, Biohaven knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to health care providers to induce prescriptions of Biohaven’s drug Nurtec ODT.

    “Through this settlement and others, the government has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that drug companies do not use kickbacks to influence physician prescribing,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will use every tool at its disposal to prevent pharmaceutical manufacturers from undermining the objectivity of treatment decisions by health care providers.”

    The anti‑kickback statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.

    The settlement announced today resolves allegations that from March 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2022, Biohaven paid improper remuneration, including in the form of speaker honoraria and meals at high end restaurants, to health care professionals to induce them to prescribe the migraine medication Nurtec ODT in violation of the anti-kickback statute. The United States alleged that Biohaven selected certain health care providers to be part of the Nurtec speaker bureau and provided them paid speaking opportunities with the intent that the speaker honoraria and meals would induce them to prescribe Nurtec ODT. The government further alleged that certain prescribers who attended multiple programs on the same topic received no educational benefit from attending repeat programs and that certain Biohaven speaker programs were attended by individuals with no educational need to attend, such as the speakers’ spouses, family members, or friends, or colleagues from the speakers’ own medical practice. The United States contends that this conduct persisted until October 2022, when Pfizer acquired Biohaven and terminated the Nurtec speaker programs.    

    “Patients deserve to know that their doctor is prescribing medications based on their doctor’s medical judgment, and not as a result of financial incentives from pharmaceutical companies,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “This settlement reflects our commitment to hold those who violate the laws accountable, regardless of their status or prestige.”

    “Violations of the anti-kickback statute, such as those alleged in this settlement, can unduly influence prescribers and negatively impact taxpayer-funded health care,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with law enforcement partners to ensure that providers and corporations are held accountable if they attempt to bypass laws meant to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.”

    “Investigating schemes that undermine the integrity of TRICARE, the health care system for military members and their families, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to work with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice to pursue corporations that attempt to corrupt the TRICARE system.”

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Patrica Frattasio, a former sales representative at Biohaven. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Patricia Frattasio v. Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., No. 6:21-CV-06539 (W.D.N.Y.). Approximately $50.2 million of the settlement constitutes the federal portion of the recovery and approximately $9.5 million constitutes a recovery for State Medicaid programs. Ms. Frattasio will receive approximately $8.4 million as her share of the federal recovery in this case.   

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

    Trial Attorney Jessica Sarkis of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell for the Western District of New York handled the matter.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Firefighters With Service-Related Cancers

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Firefighters With Service-Related Cancers

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — As thousands of firefighters work around the clock to combat the ongoing Southern California fires, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in introducing bipartisan legislation to expand access to federal support for families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year.
    Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that families of firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer. 
    “Firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line without a second thought to protect California communities from the devastating Southern California fires,” said Senator Padilla. “When they sacrifice their lives or face severe disabilities due to service-related cancers, we have a shared duty to help get their families back on their feet.”
    “Our first responders risk everything for us – from the front lines of wildfires to the unseen lines of duty that keep our communities safe. When they lose their lives to service-related cancers, their families deserve the full measure of support they’ve earned. No one who has lost so much should be left to face hardship alone,” said Senator Schiff.
    “As we are seeing in California and throughout the country, our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often exposing themselves to carcinogens that can have lethal long-term effects. It’s unacceptable that firefighters who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” said Senator Klobuchar. “That’s why I’m working with Senator Cramer to ensure that firefighters get the support they deserve. Our bipartisan legislation will honor the memory and sacrifice of St. Paul Fire Department Captain Mike Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.”
    “Our first responders epitomize courage and selfless sacrifice, confronting both the immediate perils of their duty and lingering health risks associated with their service,” said Senator Cramer. “The exposure to dangerous carcinogens happens on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear these burdens alone.”
    The PSOB program provides benefits to the survivors of firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders who are killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
    This Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act is also cosponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jim Justice (R-W.V.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    The bill is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association.
    Senators Padilla and Schiff have fought relentlessly to get Southern Californians desperately needed disaster relief aid. In the immediate aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla and Schiff led 47 bipartisan members of the California Congressional delegation in successfully urging President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration to expedite timely relief to Los Angeles County residents impacted by these disasters. Additionally, Padilla introduced a package of critical bipartisan bills to strengthen fire resilience and rebuilding efforts, including legislation to permanently increase wildland firefighter pay.
    Last week, Padilla delivered remarks on the Senate floor urging his Republican colleagues and President Trump to provide essential disaster recovery aid to California without conditioning it on the passage of partisan legislation. He also questioned Secretary of the Interior nominee Doug Burgum and Budget Secretary nominee Russell Vought on their support for fire aid, securing their commitment to not politicize disaster relief resources or funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Legislation to Support First Responders with Service-Related Cancers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and 26 of their Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses.

    The Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.

    “Our first responders put their lives on the line day in and day out to keep our communities safe, and in the face of this work, are often exposed to harmful carcinogens that have led to long-term and devastating diagnoses,” Sen. Warner said. “It is wholly unacceptable that firefighters who have gotten sick due to the job do not receive the same benefits as all those who die in the line of duty. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to ensure that these heroes receive the benefits they deserve.”

    The PSOB program provides benefits to the survivors of fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders who are killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program.

    Joining Sens. Warner, Klobuchar, and Cramer in introducing this legislation are Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). 

    The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), as well as the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI); Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA); Fraternal Order of Police (FOP); International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA); Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs); National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO); National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF); National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC); National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC); and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD.

    Text of the legislation is available here.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Introduces Pro Life Legislation for March for Life

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
    Bills would ban federal tax dollars from subsidizing abortion at home and abroad, repeal law used to target Pro Life activists
    WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced a trio of bills to prevent federal tax dollars from funding or subsidizing abortions in the United States and across the world, in honor of the 2025 March for Life in Washington, DC and state capitals around the country: the Abortion is not Health Care Act, the Protecting Life in Health Savings Accounts Act, the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act, and a repeal of the FACE Act.
    “In our quest to build a society where every precious human life is protected, we cannot allow the tax dollars of American families to be used against the most vulnerable people in our country and across the word: the unborn.” said Senator Lee. “I am also introducing legislation to repeal the FACE Act, which was used by Joe Biden to imprison Pro Life activists, now officially pardoned by President Trump.”
    The Abortion is not Health Care Act would end the tax deductibility of abortions and clarify that this gruesome practice is not health care. Currently, the IRS categorizes an abortion as “medical care” and allows tax benefits to flow to this practice, subsidizing the killing of hundreds of thousands of unborn children each year. This bill would amend Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit elective abortion expenses from being considered eligible for a medical expense deduction.
    Cosponsors include Sens. Hagerty (R-TN), Daines (R-MT), Cramer (R-ND), Blackburn (R-TN), Hawley (R-MO), and Hyde-Smith (R-MS).
    Supporting groups include Students for Life Action, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum, Heritage Action
    For a one-pager, click HERE.For bill text, click HERE.
    The Protecting Life in Health Savings Accounts would end the preferential tax treatment of abortion in health savings accounts. Current law allows individuals to use tax-advantaged funds from health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible savings accounts (FSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), Archer medical savings accounts (MSAs), and retiree health accounts for the “medical expense” of abortion. This legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code to explicitly prevent abortions from getting a special tax advantage through the use of these accounts.
    Cosponsors include Sens. Hagerty (R-TN), Daines (R-MT), Cramer (R-ND), Blackburn (R-TN), Hawley (R-MO), and Hyde-Smith (R-MS).
    Supporting groups include Students for Life Action, Concerned Women for America, Eagle Forum
    For a one-pager, click HERE.For bill text, click HERE.
    The Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act would ensure that our foreign aid is not funding or promoting abortions overseas. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan first instituted the Mexico City Policy, prohibiting the availability of family planning foreign assistance funds to organizations that provide or promote abortions or advocate to change abortion laws in a foreign country. Since then, the policy has been alternately rescinded and reinstated with changing administrations.
    The Trump Administration rebranded this policy as the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy and applied it to all global health assistance, foreign nonprofits, and NGOs. This bill would permanently codify an expanded version of the PLGHA policy into law, capturing all assistance provided to foreign or domestic nonprofits, NGOs, and multilateral organizations. With President Biden having rescinded the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy in 2021, American citizens may be complicit in overseas abortions under the guise of “foreign assistance.” Congress must ensure this cannot be the case now or ever again. Doing so would affirm the dignity of unborn human lives everywhere and save countless lives across the globe.
    Cosponsors include Sens. Blackburn (R-TN), Tim Scott (R-SC), Budd (R-NC), Cramer (R-ND), Kennedy (R-LA), Johnson (R-WI), Young (R-IN), Fischer (R-NE), Ricketts (R-NE), Cornyn (R-TX), Banks (R-IN), and Tuberville (R-AL).
    Supporting groups include CatholicVote and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
    For a one-pager, click HERE.For bill text, click HERE.
    The FACE ACT is a federal law designed to protect access to abortion facilities. While FACE also includes protections for churches, these are duplicative of other federal and state laws and have never been enforced. President Biden’s weaponized Department of Justice used the FACE Act to legally harass peaceful pro-life activists while simultaneously stonewalling good faith efforts by members of Congress to conduct even elementary oversight of the law. While President Trump has pardoned activists imprisoned by the Biden administration, a full repeal of the FACE Act will prevent future administrations from unjustly using this law for the purpose of political persecution.
    Cosponsors include Sens. Hawley (R-MO) & Wicker (R-MS)
    Supporting organizations include Thomas More Society, Family Research Council, Students for Life Action, Catholic Vote, Susan B. Anthony List, Live Action, and Citizens for Renewing America.
    For one-pager, bill text, click HERE.For bill text, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Delaware Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Federal Prison for Second Conviction Involving Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILMINGTON, Del. – Melvin Janvier, 37, of Newark, Delaware was sentenced on January 23, 2025, to 135 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), announced Shannon T. Hanson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware.  Following his time in prison, he will spend 15 years on federal supervised release.  U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika pronounced the sentence.

    According to court documents, the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Unit, with the assistance of State of Delaware Probation and Parole, arrested Janvier after an FBI Child Exploitation Task Force investigation indicated Janvier was in possession of and sending CSAM from Janvier’s cellphone through the Internet in July 2021. 

    Law enforcement later found over 2,000 files containing CSAM on Janvier’s phone.  The files found on the device included images and videos of prepubescent minors, to include infants and toddlers, and materials portraying bondage and bestiality.  Janvier had previously been convicted in 2016 in the State of Delaware for possession of and dealing in CSAM and served four years in prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Our office is committed to protecting children and prosecuting those engaged in the sexual exploitation of minors through the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.  I wish to thank the FBI and our Delaware law enforcement partners who tirelessly pursed this case.”

    “There is nothing that can excuse Melvin Janvier’s sick behavior. Every one of the more than 2,000 images he possessed re-victimizes a child,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. “FBI Baltimore’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to putting predators like Janvier behind bars where they can no longer hurt others.”

    The FBI Baltimore Field Office, with the assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and the State of Delaware Probation and Parole, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Frey and Briana Knox prosecuted the case. 

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-CR-78-MN.

    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 U.S. Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Law Enforcement Cooperation Between United States and Mexico Leads to Mexican Takedown of Significant Fentanyl Trafficker

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that extensive bilateral cooperation between the United States and Mexico resulted in Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), conducting a significant enforcement operation last week in Nogales, Sonora to dismantle a prolific transnational drug trafficking organization operating along the U.S.-Mexico border. The operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals in Mexico including the leader of the organization, Heriberto Jacobo Perez, and another member of the organization, Jesus Bernardo Rodriguez. Mexican authorities also seized four vehicles, two buildings, two firearms currency, a large number of fentanyl pills, and other controlled substances.  

    Six U.S.-based coordinators and operators with alleged ties to the same drug trafficking organization have been indicted. Rafael Alonso Arriaga, Fernando Garcia-Ibarra, Socorro Rascon, Emmanuel Sotelo-Salazar, Jostan Nathanae Vega-Ochoa, and Rosa Elena Peralta-Marrufo, were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges on July 24, 2024. Sotelo-Salazar was also indicted for the possession and distribution of a foreign pill press to fabricate fake pills.  Garcia-Ibarra and Vega-Ochoa remain fugitives. Another member of the organization, Eva Angelina De La Torre, was arrested on November 19, 2024, after she was caught attempting to smuggle fentanyl pills into the United States at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona.

    “Dismantling transnational crime requires cross-border cooperation,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.  “This is simply tremendous work by career civil servants with the Department of Justice in coordinating efforts with Mexican prosecutors to take down this criminal organization on both sides of the border.”

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

    Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Nogales led the investigation in the United States, working in concert with Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales, the United States Marshals Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Support by DEA-Mexico City, and FGR’s Agencia de Investigación Criminal was critical in providing coordination between United States and Mexican law enforcement agencies. Through funding support from the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training provided valuable assistance. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is prosecuting the seven individuals named above.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-04681-TUC-JGZ
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2025-110_Heriberto Jacobo Perez, et al.

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    2025-110_Heriberto Jacobo Perez, et al.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Miami-Dade County Woman Pleads Guilty To Providing Contraband To A Coleman Prisoner

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Janai Chanel Stephens (38, Opa Locka) entered guilty pleas to an indictment charging her with making a materially false statement or representation to a federal agency and providing contraband to a federal prisoner. Stephens faces up to five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Stephens on May 28, 2024. 

    According to court records, on March 10, 2024, Stephens entered the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County with a bag containing tobacco cigarettes that she intended to give to a federal inmate. Federal inmates are prohibited from possessing tobacco in prisons, as it threatens the order, discipline, and security of the prison. When entering the facility, Stephens falsely claimed to a corrections officer that she did not have any tobacco products in her possession.  Stephens was then permitted to meet with a federal inmate in a visitation room.  During that meeting, surveillance footage showed Stephens throwing the bag with the cigarettes that she had smuggled into the prison to the inmate. 

    This case is being prosecuted as part of a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) task force aimed at rooting out contraband and misconduct in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The task force was led by the BOP and the DOJ – Office of the Inspector General, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. 

    This case was investigated by the BOP and the DEA. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Introduce Legislation to Support First Responders Diagnosed with Occupationally-Connected Cancers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congress established the Department of Justice’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program in 1976 to provide monetary benefits to law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders who become permanently disabled or pass away due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. While the program recognizes those who made the ultimate sacrifice due to 9/11-related cancers, it does not cover first responders who lose their lives due to other service-related cancers. 
    U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced legislation to ensure all first responders who die or become disabled due to service-related cancers are covered under the PSOB program. 
    The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act is built on data indicating elevated cancer risks faced by first responders. A 2011 study by the State University of Buffalo and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health revealed significantly higher rates of brain cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma among law enforcement officers as compared to the general population. The bill aims to recognize these occupational risks as inherent to service, thereby categorizing cancer-related fatalities as line-of-duty deaths under the PSOB program.
    “Our first responders epitomize courage and selfless sacrifice, confronting both the immediate perils of their duty and lingering health risks associated with their service,” said Cramer. “The exposure to dangerous carcinogens happens on our behalf. When these heroes make the ultimate sacrifice, their families should not bear these burdens alone.”  
    “As we are seeing in California and throughout the country, our firefighters put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, often exposing themselves to carcinogens that can have lethal long-term effects. It’s unacceptable that firefighters who succumb to cancer from work-related exposure or become permanently and totally disabled don’t receive the same treatment as others who die in the line of duty,” said Klobuchar. “That’s why I’m working with Senator Cramer to ensure that firefighters get the support they deserve. Our bipartisan legislation will honor the memory and sacrifice of St. Paul Fire Department Captain Mike Paidar and so many others who risk their lives in service of their communities.”
    “As Fire Chief of the Fargo Fire Department, I wholeheartedly support the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, reintroduced by Senators Kevin Cramer and Amy Klobuchar,” said Fargo Fire Chief Steven Dirksen. “This crucial legislation extends benefits for service-related cancers to first responders nationwide, recognizing the risks faced by those who dedicate their lives to protecting others.”
    “Firefighters face danger every time they leave the fire station and face a significantly greater risk of being diagnosed with this devastating illness,” said Bismarck Rural Fire Chief Dustin Theurer. “This key legislation is crucial to support the men and women in the fire service and their families.”  
    The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act was reported unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last Congress.
    This legislation has garnered the endorsement of leading public safety organizations, including the International Association of Fire Fighters, Fraternal Order of Police, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Congressional Fire Services Institute, International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Volunteer Fire Council, National Association of Police Organizations, Major County Sheriffs of America, National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition, National Fire Protection Association, and Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.
    Additional cosponsors include U.S. Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
    Click here for bill text. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kapolei Woman Indicted for Scheme to Defraud Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Programs

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HONOLULU, Hawaii – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that on January 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Phoebe Trinh, also known as Phuong Trinh Ngoc Vo, 31, of Kapolei, Hawaii, charging Trinh with nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance.

    The charges in the indictment pertain to both the unemployment insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programs. In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act created the PUA program to provide emergency unemployment payments to certain workers whose livelihoods were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but who were ineligible for traditional state unemployment insurance benefits.

    The indictment alleges that Trinh submitted a false claim for unemployment insurance benefits to the Hawaii Department of Industrial and Labor Relations (DLIR) using its website, and that she repeatedly falsely certified under penalty of law that she was unemployed and not receiving income, despite knowing that her certifications were false, in order to receive benefit payments that she was not entitled to receive.

    The indictment further alleges that Trinh also submitted a claim to the Hawaii DLIR for PUA benefits on behalf of another individual, using that individual’s personal identifiable information, including name and social security number, without that individual’s knowledge and consent, in order to obtain  additional benefit payments to which she was not entitled. Trinh then allegedly repeatedly certified to Hawaii DLIR that the individual remained eligible for PUA benefit payments in order to receive the payments, without the individual’s knowledge and consent. The indictment alleges that Trinh directed Hawaii DLIR to transmit the benefit payments that were intended for the individual to her own bank account.

    According to the indictment, Trinh fraudulently obtained at least approximately $36,265 in unemployment insurance and PUA unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled.

    Each of the wire fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each of the aggravated identity theft counts carries a sentence of two years in prison. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866-720-5721 or online at http://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.

    This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Bliss Soldier Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    EL PASO, Texas – A former soldier stationed at Fort Bliss was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 100 months in prison for sexual abuse of a minor.

    According to court documents, Carlos Humberto Richard Walsh, 23, of Washington, was involved in a romantic relationship with a minor under 16 years old from approximately Oct. 1, 2022 to approximately Jan. 24, 2023. Walsh, who was an Army specialist at the time, was subjected to barracks inspections, through which his command reported finding the minor victim in Walsh’s vehicle, along with several of the victim’s personal items in Walsh’s barracks room. The minor victim admitted to federal and local law enforcement that she had been living with Walsh in the Barracks and had engaged in sexual intercourse there on several occasions. Walsh was arrested May 25, 2023 and has remained in federal custody.

    U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the El Paso Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela prosecuted the case.

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

     

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