NewzIntel.com

Category: US Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sussex County Woman and Texas Man Admit to Exploiting a Child and Producing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey woman and a Texas man admitted to exploiting a child and producing child pornography, as well as to other child pornography offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Dominique Saczawa, 34, of Sparta, New Jersey, and Russell Lynn Davis, Jr., 47, of Heller, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court.  Saczawa pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.  Davis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce child pornography, production of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography.

    According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:

    Saczawa admitted to sexually exploiting a then-four-year-old by engaging in sexual contact and then producing images and videos of that sexual contact.  Saczawa also admitted to sharing these videos and/or images with others, including Davis. Davis admitted to conspiring with Saczawa to sexually exploit the victim, including instructing Saczawa in a video message to perform oral sex on the victim.

    Saczawa also admitted to running a group chat within an online messaging application in which participants discussed and shared content and/or images of child pornography.  As an administrator of this group, Saczawa solicited participants to share such content.  The images Saczawa shared included images of toddlers potentially as young as one year old being sexually assaulted.

    Davis had previously been convicted in Texas of indecent contact with a child.

    “Protecting small children, the most vulnerable of our community, is among the most important work that we can do.  Every child deserves to be in a home free of sexual exploitation, and we will prosecute those that threaten this right.  When predators target children, we are committed to unmasking and holding them accountable.” 

    – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba 

    “There are truly no words to describe how grotesque the behavior in this case is. A woman admitting to using a prepubescent child to create child sexual assault material is beyond the bounds of any acceptable human behavior – and it always will be. Our FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, alongside our partner agencies, do the work of superheroes each and every day, saving children from monsters and preventing evil from harming more victims,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation.

    The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, or in the case of a defendant who has previously been convicted of a sex offense, a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years and a maximum potential penalty of 50 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.  The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, or in the case of a defendant who has previously been convicted of a sex offense, a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.  The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.  The charge of advertisement of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

    Saczawa and Davis are both scheduled for sentencing on September 22, 2025.

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

    The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel for Saczawa: Stephen Natoli, Esq.

    Defense counsel for Davis: Anthony Iacullo, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: La Crosse Man Sentenced to 7 ½ Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Toudeng Thao, 59, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 90 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine for distribution. Thao pleaded guilty to these charges on March 3, 2025.

    On January 25, 2024, law enforcement arrested both Thao and codefendant Joua Thao during a traffic stop as they returned to La Crosse, Wisconsin, from Minnesota after picking up approximately 443 grams of methamphetamine for distribution. Thao and Joua Thao were previously married but were divorced at the time of the arrest. In the six months before his arrest, Thao distributed or possessed for distribution over 5 ½ kilograms of methamphetamine. Thao claimed to have received methamphetamine from multiple sources in Minnesota, California, Canada, and Mexico. He also claimed he supplied six drug distributors. Through a series of controlled purchases, Thao and Joua Thao sold a confidential informant a total of 203.9 grams of methamphetamine in La Crosse. Thao also possessed a firearm during one drug transaction and sought more firearms to traffic to his drug suppliers.

    At sentencing, Judge Conley said he was struck by Thao’s statements rationalizing his turn to drug trafficking and found Thao’s minimal criminal history to be puzzling at best given his violent characteristics. Judge Conley noted Thao’s substantial drug dealing was serious enough on its own, but his involvement with firearms, threats of violence, and history of violence against his codefendant and family made him a serious risk to the community.

    Joua Thao also pleaded guilty and on March 20, 2025, Judge Conley sentenced her to 5 years of probation for her role in assisting with the drug transactions.

    The charges against Toudeng and Joua Thao were the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Drug Enforcement Administration, Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Prairie du Chien Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell Police Department, La Crosse Police Department, Onalaska Police Department, and Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Montgomery County Woman Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Facilitating the Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Manufacturing Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tina Marie Farley, 49, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson to 420 months in prison, 10 years of supervised released, and $3,000 in restitution for facilitating, permitting, and participating in the sexual abuse of a minor, and the manufacture of child pornography.

    Farley was charged by indictment in December 2023 with those offenses and pleaded guilty in January of this year.

    As detailed in court documents and admitted to by the defendant, beginning around October 2017 and over the course of approximately 18 months, Farley facilitated the sexual abuse of Minor 1 by Farley’s boyfriend, including engaging in sexual contact with Minor 1, and filming and photographing the sexual abuse. At times, Farley was present for and even participated in the sexual abuse and filming/photographing of the abuse. Minor 1 was 12 to 13 years old at the time.

    “This defendant badly betrayed a child who trusted her, and now must be held to account for that exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Those who sexually abuse children cause lasting harm, an emotional toll that’s unfathomable. My office and the FBI are working aggressively every day to find and prosecute child predators, to keep them from hurting more innocent victims.”

    “The exploitation of children is one of the most egregious crimes the FBI investigates,” said Gabriel Poling, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI and our partners’ commitment to safeguarding children and ensuring that those who harm them will be brought to justice.”

    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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.

    The case was investigated by the FBI, with the Conshohocken Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Kelly Harrell.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Claremore Man Convicted of Sexually Abusing a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact of Two Minors

    Source: US FBI

    TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury yesterday convicted Ryan Duke Haight, 45, of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

    At trial, the jury heard the testimony of the two minor victims, who were 14 and 15 years old at the time of the offenses, as well as other individuals. According to evidence presented at trial, Haight began making sexual comments to the 14-year-old victim in the summer of 2023. Haight also began touching the minor victim on the buttocks, claiming it was an accident, and played with the seam of her panties. He even told the victim that he preferred “butts” over “boobs,” which was why he liked the victim. In the spring of 2024, Haight’s physical contact escalated. On multiple occasions, while driving the victim home, Haight rested his hand on the victim’s leg and touched her underneath her clothing. Then in July 2024, Haight told the victim he wanted to give her a massage as his “prize” for winning a bet. While massaging the victim, Haight sexually abused her.

    Also in July 2024, Haight sought out the second victim at a Fourth of July party at his home. The second victim was 15 years old. During the party, Haight reached under the victim’s clothing to touch her bra strap and purposefully touched the minor’s buttocks. He later called her a “vagina” for being scared of a spider. When Haight testified, he admitted that he called the second victim a “gina,” and claimed that the term was a “buzz word the teens were saying,” that meant vagina, and he was trying to fit in with the teenagers. Haight also told the second victim that she “owed him” because he removed the spider for her.

    While awaiting trial, Haight was allowed to remain on bond. After the guilty verdict was returned, Haight was taken into custody, where he will await sentencing, which will be scheduled for a later date.

    The FBI and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Scaife and Kate Brandon 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Richardson Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Child Exploitation

    Source: US FBI

    An 80-year-old Richardson man who sexually abused a seven-year-old was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. 

    George Kenneth Orton, Jr., of Richardson, was convicted of two counts of sexual exploitation of a child by a jury of his peers in October 2024.  According to evidence presented at trial, agents recovered a USB drive and two laptops containing child sexual abuse material at his home.

    On May 14, 2025, Orton appeared before District Judge Brantley Starr for sentencing.  Judge Starr sentenced Orton to consecutive maximum sentences of 360 months on each count, for a total of 720 months in federal prison.  Judge Starr described Orton’s conduct against Minor Victim 1 as “unspeakable” and, in handing down the sentence, stated that he found no reason to give Orton less than the statutory maximum on each count, regardless of his age.

    “The FBI is proud to collaborate with our law enforcement partners every single day to ensure anyone involved in criminal behavior against a child is brought to justice. The significant sentence given to the defendant sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Together, through continued vigilance and cooperation, we can prevent abuse and protect the most vulnerable among us.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Meacham praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Richardson Police Department in conducting the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Aulbaugh and Brandie Wade prosecuted the case.

    The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that was 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Hundred Ninety-Five New Immigration Cases in Western District of Texas This Week

    Source: US FBI

    SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 295 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 9 through May 15.

    Among the new cases, Mexican nationals Juan Jose Medrano-Escobedo and Rosendo Dominguez-Morales were arrested after allegedly entering the U.S. illegally through the Texas National Defense Area (Tx-NDA) less than half a mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso. Medrano-Escobedo has been previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico twice, most recently July 30, 2024. He has been convicted of three felonies, including evading arrest in 2017 and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in November 2023. Dominguez-Morales was last removed on Aug. 20, 2024, following an Aug. 18, 2024 felony conviction for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Medrano-Escobedo and Dominguez-Morales are each charged with two counts related to violating defense property security regulation and one count of illegal re-entry.

    Also in El Paso, two U.S. citizens are charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens after being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Fabens. Jared Isai Ramirez and Jesus Alberto Soriano, driving separate vehicles, allegedly attempted to flee from USBP. A criminal complaint alleges Ramirez lost control of his vehicle and collided into a rock wall. He and four passengers allegedly exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended. The four passengers were determined to be illegal aliens and were transported with Ramirez to the Clint Border Patrol Station for further investigation. Soriano eventually stopped the vehicle he was driving and was also transported to the Clint Border Patrol Station. The criminal complaint alleges that Ramirez admitted that he would be paid $300 for each of the four illegal aliens he was transporting. Soriano allegedly stated that he had agreed to scout the area for law enforcement during the smuggling scheme. 

    A Mexican national was encountered at the Bastrop County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry in Austin. Elisandro Enriquez-Sanchez has been removed from the U.S. to Mexico four times in addition to a voluntary return. He had been arrested in Bastrop and charged with driving while intoxicated with an open alcohol container. Enriquez-Sanchez’s lengthy criminal record includes two convictions for illegal re-entry as well as taking a weapon from an officer, assault causing bodily injury to a family member, and three DWIs in a two-year span.

    In Presidio County, Honduran national Angel Daniel Vasquez was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Vasquez has four prior removals, the last one being to Honduras May 27, 2024. He’s also a twice-convicted felon with a criminal record that includes assault causing bodily injury in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023 and a 2015 illegal re-entry conviction in Phoenix, Arizona. He was also convicted of a misdemeanor in Nashville for driving under the influence in April 2024.

    These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.

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

    Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact

    Source: US FBI

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.

    Bryant Heideman, age 25, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Heideman will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

    Heideman was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025.

    The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in November 2023 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Heideman had sexual contact with the victim, who was 12 years old, after allowing her to stay in his home between November 13 and November 14, 2024.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    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 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

    Source: US FBI

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on May 6, 2025.

    Mason Benoist, age 24, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Benoist was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025.

    The conviction stems from Benoist receiving and possessing child pornography using his mobile phone in April 2022. Law enforcement subsequently began investigating Benoist based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In May 2023, law enforcement made contact with Benoist at his residence in Eagle Butte. Benoist admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography, and a search of his electronic devices revealed child pornography. Benoist will forfeit ownership of these electronic devices to the United States.

    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 DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.

    Benoist was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography and Making a Hoax Bomb Threat in Connection with Retaliation Against a Minor

    Source: US FBI

    HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nathaniel Sean DeLeon, age 20, of Tulare, California, was sentenced on May 20, 2025, to 78 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for distribution of child pornography and making a bomb threat hoax in connection with a campaign of retaliation against a Cumberland County minor in 2023. 

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, DeLeon met the then-16-year-old minor victim on the Roblox gaming platform and began an online relationship. The relationship ended. Thereafter, between June 2023 and November 2023, DeLeon caused law enforcement in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, to respond to 23 related “swatting” incidents at addresses in Cumberland County, the majority of which belonged to the minor victim. The calls generally related information that someone had a gun and had killed, or was about to kill, another person.

    On November 30, 2023, DeLeon, identifying himself as the minor victim, informed a suicide prevention worker via an internet messaging application that the minor victim had placed pipe bombs in the classrooms and bathrooms of Big Spring High School, located in Cumberland County, and was in a car outside of the school with a shotgun. As a result, approximately 650 students and staff from Big Spring High School were evacuated. No bombs went off and it was determined that there were no explosive devices inside the school.

    DeLeon also distributed a sexually explicit video of a minor victim on two occasions in November 2023.

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

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Tackling human trafficking

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Gone are the days when human trafficking felt like an obscure crime that occurs under the cover of night in far off places we have never heard of. 

    Every so often we hear of suspected human trafficking cases, and it is likely that you and I could have already interacted with a trafficked person(s) without even knowing it.

    This as police rescued 44 illegal immigrants who were found locked in a house in Gauteng’s Parkmore suburb recently.

    It was also reported in March that over 30 Ethiopian nationals were able to escape from a house in Johannesburg’s Lombardy East. In that case, it is suspected that the 30 were victims of a human trafficking syndicate.

    In January, over 20 Ethiopians were rescued from a house in Johannesburg. The rescue followed a similar one in August 2024 where 82 Ethiopians were also found at a house in Johannesburg.

    Additionally, human trafficking does not only take place on home soil. In March, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that 23 South Africans who were part of a group of 7000 people from various countries, were rescued from Myanmar.

    Before leaving South African shores in 2024, the men and women were lured by an employment agency to Thailand under the pretences of lucrative jobs that were advertised on various social media platforms.
    According to DIRCO, the adverts promised the victims good salaries, free accommodation, comprehensive travel expenses, and other lucrative benefits. However, once in Thailand, they were transported to Myanmar against their will.

    They were held captive for more than four months in a cybercrime compound in Myanmar, which borders Thailand. 

    “The crime of human trafficking is a hidden one. It is a very different one in the sense that you are given promises of a better life through whatever means elsewhere. You wilfully participate in those engagements without knowing that as soon as you arrive at your destination, what you have been promised is no longer there,” said Deputy Director-General (DDG) Lucky Mohalaba.

    Mohalaba is the DDG for Court Administration at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD).

    “The courts are currently dealing with those matters [of human trafficking] and it ranges from sexual exploitation to forced labour,” he said in an interview with SAnews.

    Legislation

    He added that there are other forms of crimes in relation to the “Trafficking in Persons Act which may include harbouring, transporting [and] assisting in whatever form that those who have been trafficked are able to be moved around within our borders.”

    This as the objects of South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 2013, among others, are to give effect to the country’s obligations concerning the trafficking of persons in terms of international agreements and to provide for the prevention of trafficking in persons and for the protection of and assistance to victims of trafficking, among others.

    According to the legislation, any person who delivers, recruits, transports, transfers, harbours, sells, exchanges, leases or receives another person within or across the borders of the Republic, by means of the threat of harm, abduction and kidnapping among others, for the purpose of any form or manner of exploitation, is guilty of the offence of trafficking in persons.

    It also states that any person who adopts a child, facilitated or secured through legal or illegal means; or concludes a forced marriage with another person, within or across the borders of the Republic, for exploitation purposes of that child or other person in any form, is guilty of an offence.

    A person convicted of an offence of trafficking (by delivering, recruiting, transporting transferring harbouring and selling among others another person by means of a threat of harm, fraud and kidnapping among others, is liable to a fine not exceeding R100 million or imprisonment, including imprisonment for life, or such imprisonment without the option of a fine or both.

    According to the National Prosecuting Agency, the passing of the trafficking legislation is a result of South Africa’s ratification of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children.

    Additionally, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the protocol -which was adopted by the United Nations in November 2000 – is the world’s primary legal instrument to combat human trafficking.

    Mohalaba stressed that government is tackling human trafficking.

    “What we can say to the public is that government is doing quite a lot of work in relation to this matter. But working together with civil society as well as communities, as a department we are of the view that we can do a lot to further curb instances and the incidence of trafficking in persons in South Africa,” he said from his office at the DOJ&CD.

    Increased effort 

    There is tangible evidence that the work government is doing in this area is paying off with the county having moved to a better spot on the United States of America’s (USA) annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

    In 2024, South Africa moved from Tier 2 Watch List of the report to Tier 2. 

    Released in June last year, the report, which is available on the US Department of State website among others, notes that while South Africa does not “fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking… [it] is making significant efforts to do so.”

    “The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; therefore South Africa was upgraded to Tier 2. These efforts included increasing prosecutions of traffickers; identifying and referring more trafficking victims to protection services; and increasing the number of shelters available to assist trafficking victims,” the report stated.

    It also took note of government’s National Inter-Ministerial Committee for Trafficking in Persons (NICTIP) to strengthen anti-trafficking efforts which included the Border Management Authority, the Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Team and the Financial Intelligence Center.

    He said that work done includes ensuring that there is domestic legislation in place that deals with trafficking in persons and that the country has in place mechanisms to identify, assess victims or suspected victims of trafficking and ensuring that there are shelters to accommodate victims while court processes continue.

    “As a result of our responses, we moved to Tier 2 as these are some of the issues the country has addressed. Of course, our aim is to ensure that we move a level higher up which will include putting more effort into ensuring that there’s appropriate training for officials that are dealing with these matters.  We are working on this,” he explained.

    According to the TIP, the placement of countries into various tiers is not based on the size of a country’s problem “but on the extent of government efforts to meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking.”

    These standards include the prohibition of severe forms of trafficking in person and punishing acts of such trafficking.
    Tier 2 Watch List countries are those whose governments don’t fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making moves to “bring themselves into compliance” with the standards.

    Tier 2 countries are those whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance. Additionally, Tier 1 countries are those in which governments fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

    The TIP also has Tier 3 countries whereby governments do not fully meet the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.

    Mohalaba added that the NICTIP which the department and the NPA are co-chairing, is “seized with coordinating a lot of efforts around the trafficking in persons across the country.”

    “It also includes NGOs [non-government organisations] who take part in the discussions so that all of us working together are able to move our country forward and prevent this scourge in trafficking of persons.”

    The report however flagged several issues including that law enforcement did not have the capacity and training to refer victims of trafficking to care and that victim services remained insufficient among others.

    The report states that over “180 countries have ratified or acceded to the United Nations (UN) Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (the UN TIP Protocol), which defines trafficking in persons and contains obligations to prevent and combat the crime.”

    Collaboration 

    South Africa’s Parliament passed the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons, 2013 Act which came into operation in August 2015.

    “Again, we must appreciate the collaboration amongst the law enforcement agencies and particularly communities and civil society to ensure that these serious matters are addressed.

    The act requires the DOJ&CD to develop the draft National and Policy Framework (NPF) which also requires the Minister of Justice to table the approved NPF in Parliament within one year after the commencement of the Act.

    Added to that, the NFP is to be reviewed within three years after its publication in the government gazette and at least once every five years thereafter. The first NPF was approved by the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster in 2019 with the revised one having been approved by Cabinet in August 2023. It was tabled in Parliament in February 2024.

    The framework comprises four pillars – namely: prevention, protection, prosecution and partnerships.

    “Trafficking is an international crime, and States have been encouraged to put in laws that deal with this. We are using the NFP to compliment the legislation working together with civil society to make sure that we combat and deal with issues of trafficking in persons,” said the DDG.

    The NPF states that trafficking in persons is a “serious crime and a grave violation of human rights posing a serious challenge to communities and to society at large.”

    In the document, government states that it is committed to preventing trafficking, as well as to assist and protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators.

    “People go to great lengths to ensure that when people are trafficked, that it falls within the ambit of organised crime. We really want to appeal to the public that we should be vigilant when we see instances of people being trafficked in our villages, townships, in towns or any other areas we see the potential of people being trafficked,” said the DDG.

    He added that the review of the policy framework will be made in 2027.

    “As a country, we remain resolute in working with whichever country across the globe to ensure that the issues of trafficking in persons are actually made a priority across the world.” –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump wants to cut funding to sanctuary cities and towns – but they don’t actually violate federal law

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien, Associate Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University

    While sanctuary policies for immigrants have grown in the U.S. since the 1980s, the Trump administration is the first to challenge them. Marcos Silva/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    San Francisco, Chicago and New York are among the major cities – as well as more than 200 small towns and counties and a dozen states – that over the past 40 years have adopted what is often known as sanctuary policies.

    There is not a single definition of a sanctuary policy. But it often involves local authorities not asking about a resident’s immigration status, or not sharing that personal information with federal immigration authorities.

    So when a San Francisco police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, the officer will not ask if the person is living in the country legally.

    American presidents, from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden, have chosen to leave sanctuary policies largely unchallenged since different places first adopted them in the 1970s. This changed in 2017, when President Donald Trump first tried to cut federal funding to sanctuary places, claiming that their policies “willfully violate Federal law.” Legal challenges during his first term stopped him from actually withholding the money.

    At the start of his second term, Trump signed two executive orders in January and April 2025 which again state that his administration will withhold federal money from areas with sanctuary policies.

    “Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!” Trump said, according to an April White House statement. This statement was immediately followed by his April executive order.

    These two executive orders task the attorney general and secretary of homeland security with publishing a list of all sanctuary places and notifying local and state officials of “non-compliance, providing an opportunity to correct it.” Those that do not comply with federal law, according to the orders, may lose federal funding.

    San Francisco and 14 other sanctuary cities, including New Haven, Connecticut, and Portland, Oregon, sued the Trump administration in February on the grounds that it was illegally trying to coerce cities to comply with its policies. A U.S. district court judge in California issued an injunction on April 24 preventing the administration – at least for the time being – from cutting funding from places with sanctuary policies.

    However, as researchers who have studied sanctuary policies for over a decade, we know that Trump’s claim that sanctuary policies violate federal immigration law is not correct.

    It’s true that the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over immigration. Yet there is no federal requirement that state or local governments participate or cooperate in federal immigration enforcement, which would require an act of Congress.

    A sign is seen at the Nogales, Ariz., and Mariposa, Mexico, border crossing.
    Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

    What’s behind sanctuary policies

    In 1979, the Los Angeles Police Department was the first to announce a prohibition on local officials asking about a resident’s immigration status.

    However, it was not until the 1980s that the sanctuary movement took off, when hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Nicaraguans fled civil war and violence in their home countries and migrated to the U.S. This prompted a number of cities to declare solidarity with the faith-based sanctuary movement that offered refuge to Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Nicaraguan asylum seekers facing deportation.

    In 1985, Berkeley, Calif., and San Francisco pledged that city officials, including police officers, would not report Central Americans to immigration authorities as long as they were law abiding.

    Berkeley also banned officials from using local money to work with federal immigration authorities.

    “We are not asking anyone to do anything illegal,” Nancy Walker, a supervisor for San Francisco, said in 1985, according to The New York Times. “We have got to extend our hand to these people. If these people go home, they die. They are asking us to let them stay.”

    Today, there are hundreds of sanctuary cities, towns, counties and states across the country that all have a variation of policies that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

    Sometimes – but not always – places with sanctuary policies bar local law enforcement agencies from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the country’s main immigration enforcement agency.

    A large part of ICE’s work is identifying, arresting and deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. In order to carry out this work, ICE issues what is known as “detainer requests” to local law enforcement authorities. A detainer request asks local law enforcement to hold a specific arrested person already being held by police until that person can be transferred to ICE, which can then take steps to deport them.

    While places without sanctuary policies tend to comply with these requests, some sanctuary jurisdictions, like the state of California, only do so in the cases of particular violent criminal offenses.

    Yet local officials in sanctuary places cannot legally block ICE from arresting local residents who are living in the country illegally, or from carrying out any other parts of its work.

    Can Trump withhold federal funding?

    Trump claimed in 2017 that sanctuary policies violated federal law, and he issued an executive order that tried to rescind federal grants that these jurisdictions received.

    However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2018 case involving San Francisco and Santa Clara County, California, that the president could not refuse to “disperse the federal grants in question without congressional authorization.”

    Federal courts, meanwhile, split over whether Trump could freeze funding attached to a specific federal program called the Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant Program, which provides about US$250 million in annual funding to state and local law enforcement.

    These cases were in the process of being appealed to the Supreme Court when the Department of Justice, under Biden, asked that they be dismissed.

    Other Supreme Court rulings also suggest that the Trump administration’s claim that it can withhold federal funding from sanctuary places rests on shaky legal ground.

    The Supreme Court ruled in 1992 and again in 1997 that the federal government could not coerce state or local governments to use their resources to enforce a federal regulatory program, or compel them to enact or administer a federal regulatory program.

    Under pressure

    The first Trump administration was not generally successful, with the exception of the split over the Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant Program, at stripping funding from sanctuary places. But cutting federal funding – even if it happens temporarily – can be economically damaging to cities and counties while they challenge the decision in court.

    Local officials also face other kinds of political pressure to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.

    A legal group founded by Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff in the Trump administration, for example, sent letters to dozens of local officials in January threatening criminal prosecution for their sanctuary policies.

    Michelle Wu, the mayor of Boston, a sanctuary city, testifies during a House committee hearing on sanctuary city mayors on March 5, 2025, in Washington.
    Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The real effects of sanctuary policies

    One part of Trump’s argument against sanctuary policies is that places with these policies have more crime than those that do not.

    But there is no established relationship between sanctuary status and crime rates.

    There is, however, evidence that when local law enforcement and ICE work together, it reduces the likelihood of immigrant and Latino communities to report crimes, likely for fear of being arrested by federal immigration authorities.

    Sanctuary policies are certainly worthy of debate, but this requires an accurate representation of what they are, what they do, and the effects they have.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump wants to cut funding to sanctuary cities and towns – but they don’t actually violate federal law – https://theconversation.com/trump-wants-to-cut-funding-to-sanctuary-cities-and-towns-but-they-dont-actually-violate-federal-law-255831

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • Trump administration moves to cut all remaining federal contracts with Harvard

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration plans to terminate the federal government’s remaining contracts with Harvard University, according to a letter sent to federal agencies on Tuesday.

    The letter, from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), directs all federal agencies to review and potentially terminate or reallocate their contracts with Harvard, which an official valued at about $100 million.

    Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The move marked the latest instance of the Republican administration attempting to undermine the financial stability and global standing of the oldest and wealthiest U.S. university after it pushed back on government demands for vast policy changes.

    The government has already terminated nearly $3 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school and moved last week to revoke its ability to enroll international students. Those roughly 6,800 students make up about 27% of Harvard’s total enrollment.

    A federal judge in Boston on Friday temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from revoking foreign student enrollment ahead of a Thursday hearing. During a brief hearing on Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Justice lawyer said the administration is complying with that order and was weighing its options.

    Even so, the Trump administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants.

    Several hundred demonstrators, including Harvard students and teachers, gathered at the university on Tuesday to show support for foreign students and protest the Trump funding cuts.

    Following graduation events led by Harvard President Alan Garber, one of the protesting students, Jacob Miller, climbed onto a makeshift stage and said the ban on international enrollments had nothing to do with combating antisemitism, which was given as one of the official reasons for the crackdown on foreign students. “We will not allow our identities to be invoked to destroy Harvard,” said Miller, who is Jewish. “If there is anything to learn from the Jewish history, it’s that when we push people out of our schools because of their identity, it’s a symptom of a morally bankrupt politics.”

    Another protest organizer, Harvard student Rae Trainer, said many international students were afraid to demonstrate because they risk deportations. Some international students recorded statements to be read by classmates who are U.S. citizens.

    The GSA’s letter accused the school of engaging in discriminatory admissions practices even after the U.S. Supreme Court, in its 2023 decision ending affirmative action in higher education, rejected Harvard’s use of race as an admissions factor to boost campus diversity.

    The letter from Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the GSA’s federal acquisition service, also accused Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard of discriminatory hiring practices and of failing to protect Jewish students from harassment.

    The GSA sent the letter to federal agencies Tuesday morning, said an administration official familiar with the matter. The letter directs agencies to submit a list of contract cancellations by June 6 and says contracts for critical services would be transitioned to other vendors.

    Harvard, which is suing to challenge the administration’s actions, has argued that its rush to punish the school has run afoul of various procedures and violates free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment by trying to assert control over its staff, curriculum and enrollment.

    Garber, the Harvard president, said in an NPR interview released on Tuesday that despite campus problems that it needs to address, the administration’s decisions to cancel grant funding were “perplexing.”

    “As long as there has been a United States of America, Harvard has thought that its role is to serve the nation,” he said.

    (Reuters) 

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Maria Magdalena Chavez, 41, illegally residing in Port Arthur, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 27, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, on September 11, 2024, Chavez was in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Nederland. During the stop, it was determined that Chavez had a firearm concealed in her bra.  Further investigation revealed Chavez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States.

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

    This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Nederland Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Manatee County Man Sentenced To 5 Years For Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images And Videos

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Capers Scott Hammond (35, Bradenton) to 5 years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Hammond was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, a $30,000 fine, and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Hammond to forfeit an iPad, three thumb drives, a MacBook, a custom PC tower, and an iPhone, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Hammond entered a guilty plea on February 13, 2025. 

    According to court documents, Hammond used a file-sharing network to distribute and receive CSAM. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement searched Hammond’s apartment, seized various electronics, and determined he had received and possessed seven images and four videos of CSAM.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Files Help America Vote Act Lawsuit Against North Carolina for Inaccurate Voter List

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

    The lawsuit alleges that the State of North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license or last four digits of a social security number. Voters were then added to the State’s voter registration roll without the required information, and many of these voters remain on the registration rolls without it.

    On March 25, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws that guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion. The election integrity issues raised in this action are a core component of the Federal election laws that Congress has statutorily charged the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, to enforce.

    “Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”

    The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

    More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Husband and Wife Each Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Covid Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON N.J. – A New Jersey and Florida husband and wife were sentenced to 12 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $790,000 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) loans, U.S. Alina Habba announced.

    Diana Valteri, 42, and Edmond Haxhillari, 43, of Sparta, New Jersey, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, previously plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to informations charging the couple with wire fraud and money laundering. Judge Kirsch imposed the sentences in Trenton federal court.

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

    From in or around June 2020 through August 2020, Valteri and Haxhillari participated in a fraudulent scheme to receive $790,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program. Valteri and Haxhillari submitted fraudulent loan applications on behalf of several businesses that purported to have employees and revenue but were actually shell companies with no business operations. After receiving the EIDL funds based on their fraud, Valteri and Haxhillari diverted the proceeds for their own personal gain.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Field Office under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terrence G. Reilly; special agents of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, and special agents from the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Regional Office, with the investigation leading to the charges.

    The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

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

    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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: William Tunkey, Esq. and Joseph Nascimento, Esq. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘No support, no housing, no job’ – the vicious cycle pushing more women into prison

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilde Tubex, Professor, The University of Western Australia

    For too many women, prison is “as good as it gets”.

    New research based on interviews with 80 female prisoners in Western Australia reveals most of these women were “criminalised” by circumstances outside their control before they became offenders.

    They were victims of multiple forms of abuse, including family violence. The trajectory of their lives meant jail was almost unavoidable.

    In turn, prison became a refuge from all the problems that helped put them there in the fist place.

    Rising rates

    Internationally, women make up between 2% and 9% of the total prison population in most countries. Australia sits at the higher end with just over 8% of inmates being female – 3,426 people as of December 2024.

    Female imprisonment rates have increased at a higher rate than the national average.
    ChameleonEye/Shutterstock

    Across the globe, the numbers and rates of women in prisons are growing faster than those of men.

    We see the same trend in Australia, especially in WA. Between December 2022 and 2024, the female imprisonment rate increased by 25%. The state has the highest rate of incarcerated women after the Northern Territory.

    It is noteworthy that across the female population in WA jails, 62% of sentences are for non-violent crimes.

    Cycles of harm

    Given the significant rise in incarceration rates, we conducted our Profile of Women in WA Prisons research. Funded by the WA Department of Justice, our report investigated the pathways to imprisonment.

    We had in-depth interviews with 80 Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in eight prisons in metropolitan Perth and regional WA.

    The results confirm earlier research which showed women in the criminal justice system are frequently victims of domestic and family violence. However, there is so much more to the story of how women end up in prison. The findings are quite disheartening.

    Throughout their stories, “cycles of harm” emerged as the reason they eventually ended up in prison.

    Shared stories

    Many of the women were exposed to violence, alcohol, drugs, crime and poverty from a very early age. They described negative life events such as trauma, physical and sexual abuse, neglect and domestic violence in childhood.

    Many women view prison as a safe haven that is not available to them in the outside world.
    Andrew Agelov/Shutterstock

    Leaving home early was a common experience. Due to their young age and vulnerability, they often ended up in unsafe accommodation, with unsuitable partners.

    I left home at 15. I told my mum at 11 [about the abuse], she didn’t do anything about it. So I ran away at 14. I had a boyfriend who was much older than me. So he was nearly 20.

    Many reflected that their own use of alcohol and drugs was a way of numbing the trauma and pain:

    When I ran away, and I was with him for a few years. I remember the first time taking speed, and it just made everything so much easier to deal with. He would come home and beat the crap out of me, and I would just take drugs, and wouldn’t care.

    Reaching out for help was not something many of these women were used to doing, due to a lack of self-esteem and struggles with their mental health as a result of ongoing abuse.

    Moreover, seeking assistance often backfired, leading to their children being taken away, or the woman being misidentified as the perpetrator.

    Little support

    Throughout the criminal justice system, there was a lack of support and understanding of what led these women into criminal behaviour.

    Once incarcerated, they are in a system that is still dominated by men. They suffer particular disadvantages, such as the lack of women-specific programs and services.

    Adding to their difficulties is a lack of safe accommodation and financial support. This makes women subject to even more cycles of harm from which it is hard to escape.

    I’ve been coming in and out of prison for the last 20 years. Yeah, I’m 41 now, so in and out of here. Yeah, it’s just due to lack of housing, I’ve been homeless a lot. When I get out of prison, there’s not enough support to set me up to get me back on track in my life. And it’s just, yeah, getting out of prison with no support, no housing, no jobs.

    While the burden of imprisonment was undeniable, jail was often viewed as the only safe refuge they had from trauma, abuse and homelessness.

    Some felt prison was about as good as it was going to get for them. Many of the women we interviewed were mothers. There is evidence to suggest the offspring of these women face a higher intergenerational risk of incarceration, and new generations may suffer the same cycles of harm.

    New approach

    The evidence suggests jail is functioning as a solution to social problems like homelessness and drug addiction. This comes at a very high financial cost, with Australia spending over $6 billion a year building and operating prisons.

    Yet, we know locking people up is not necessarily creating safer communities.

    As many women have become criminalised by the various forms of interpersonal and systemic abuse they have suffered, the rising rates of female incarceration should not be approached as a criminal problem, but as an expression of a failing society letting down its most vulnerable members.

    To curb the trend, we need to identify the cycle of harm at the early stages, and interrupt the predictability of ongoing damage which leads to crime and incarceration.

    Women have specific needs. We need to address the complexity of the lives they return to after prison to prevent further offending.

    Hilde Tubex receives funding from The Western Australian Office of Crime Statistics and Research (WACSAR) Criminal Justice Research Grant.

    Natalie Gately receives funding from The Western Australian Office of Crime Statistics and Research (WACSAR) Criminal Justice Research Grant.

    – ref. ‘No support, no housing, no job’ – the vicious cycle pushing more women into prison – https://theconversation.com/no-support-no-housing-no-job-the-vicious-cycle-pushing-more-women-into-prison-257218

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    A Texas man pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett for the Southern District of Texas to not reporting and paying over employment taxes that his company withheld from its employees’ paychecks. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Joseth “Joe” Limon, of Harris County, owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc., a company that supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area. From 2013 through 2018, Platinum did not file employment-tax returns, and, according to its payroll records, did not pay more than $8.8 million in employment taxes. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

    After closing Platinum, he set up another labor-staffing company, Rockwell Staffing LLC, in the name of his then 18-year-old daughter. When he later found out that the IRS was attempting to collect Rockwell’s unpaid employment taxes, he caused his daughter to submit an affidavit to the IRS that falsely claimed that Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment tax liability.

    Limon is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Felon Indicted For Possession Of A Machinegun

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Edward Anderson (44, Bradenton) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a machinegun. If convicted, Anderson faces up to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and up to 10 years in federal prison for the machinegun offense.

    According to the indictment, Anderson was previously convicted of nine felonies, including two prior firearms offenses. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Beginning on an unknown date and continuing through July 30, 2024, Anderson possessed a Glock pistol that had been modified with a replacement slide cover plate, making the handgun capable of firing as a fully automatic weapon.

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Help America Vote Act Lawsuit Against North Carolina for Inaccurate Voter List

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

    The lawsuit alleges that the State of North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license or last four digits of a social security number. Voters were then added to the State’s voter registration roll without the required information, and many of these voters remain on the registration rolls without it.

    On March 25, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws that guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion. The election integrity issues raised in this action are a core component of the Federal election laws that Congress has statutorily charged the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, to enforce.

    “Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”

    The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

    More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tampa Man Sentenced To 8 Years In Federal Prison For Receipt And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Almando Sapp, Jr. (39, Tampa) to eight years in federal prison for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Sapp will also have to register as a sex offender and forfeit a cellphone used in the commission of the offense. Sapp pleaded guilty on January 9, 2025. A restitution hearing is scheduled for July 8, 2025.

    According to court documents, through digital payment systems, Sapp purchased CSAM over a social media application. Law enforcement recovered online communications between Sapp and individuals over the app where Sapp admitted to spending hundreds of dollars to purchase CSAM and stated his desire for “real cp” and images or videos containing “intercourse.” Through a search of Sapp’s cellphone, agents recovered hundreds of images and videos of CSAM.

    “This is another clear message that those who traffic in child sexual abuse material will be held accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Homeland Security Investigations remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community by ensuring justice is served.”

    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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chilean Nationals Indicted For Immigration Crimes And Identity Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Hernan Nicolas Fuentes Alfaro (44, Chile) and Eduardo Luis Portilla Romero (19, Chile) with possessing fraudulent Peruvian passports and aggravated identity theft. The indictment also charges Fuentes Alfaro with illegally reentering the United States after deportation. If convicted on all counts, Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero face a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero that the United States intends to forfeit assets alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

    According to court records, on April 2, 2025, Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero were found with fraudulent Peruvian passports. Both fraudulent passports contained identifying information belonging to real individuals. Fuentes Alfaro was previously deported from the United States on March 3, 2020.

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jasper County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child.

    Uriah Behl, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, to one count of sexual exploitation of children. By pleading guilty today, Behl admitted to secretly recording a naked juvenile in the shower.

    The investigation began when the Jasper County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) received a call reporting that a camera had been found in a community shower room in Carthage, Mo. Witnesses found a cell phone in the cabinet under the bathroom sink, recording through a crack in the open cabinet door. Several videos were found on the phone, containing multiple victims, including a juvenile.

    In a post-Miranda interview, Behl admitted to JCSO officers that he had set the phone up to record the whole room, including the shower, when motion was detected. Behl claimed that he did not intend to record the juvenile victim; however, clips from the videos focused on portions of the video depicting the juvenile victim naked, with their genitals exposed.

    Behl gave JCSO officers consent to search the phone he was using to record and the cell phone he used for calls and texting. A forensic search of the phones found over an hour of videos from the shower room, several clips from those videos containing the naked juvenile victim, multiple searches for child pornography, as well as 161 images depicting child pornography downloaded from the internet.

    Under federal statutes, Behl is subject to a sentence of at least 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    Behl will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

    Project Safe Childhood

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Man Charged in Connection With CARES Act Loan Fraud

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    Click Here to View the Original U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Press Release

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Joseph Ronald Trenkle, 54, formerly of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado and currently of Dorado, Puerto Rico, has been charged in a criminal information with one count each of wire fraud and money laundering.

    According to the information, between April 30, 2020, and February 25, 2022, Trenkle applied for and received $1,850,000 in COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and $2,999,995 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds from an SBA-approved lender.  The information alleges that after first obtaining an EIDL loan in March 2020, Trenkle made two requests to increase the amount of his EIDL and made false representations as part of each of request.  The information further alleges that Trenkle submitted two fraudulent PPP loan applications, and also submitted fraudulent applications for PPP loan forgiveness for each PPP loan.

    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans dealing with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The CARES Act created the PPP, a program administered by the SBA that provided loans to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll, and certain other expenses consistent with PPP rules.  Additionally, the CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The defendant made his initial appearance on May 22, 2025, in Denver in front of Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung.

    The charges contained in the information are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Fansler.

    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) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form

    Case Number: 25-cr-00150-RMR

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Boston removes fugitive convicted of armed robbery in Brazil

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    WOONSOCKET, R.I. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s removed a 29-year-old illegal Brazilian fugitive wanted by authorities to serve more than five years in prison for an armed robbery conviction in his native country. Officers with ICE Boston removed Juliano Araujo Dos Santos Silva from the United States to Brazil March 27 and turned him over to Brazilian authorities.

    “Rhode Island is not a safe haven for the world’s criminal element,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Mr. Araujo was convicted of armed robbery in his native country and attempted to subvert justice by hiding out in New England. Now he is in the hands of Brazilian authorities. ICE Boston will not tolerate alien criminals threatening the law-abiding residents of our communities. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our neighborhoods.”

    A Brazilian criminal court convicted Araujo of armed robbery with a firearm Oct. 2, 2017, and sentenced him to five years and four months in prison.

    U.S. Border Patrol arrested Araujo July 3, 2019, after he illegally entered the United States near near El Paso, Texas. USBP issued Araujo a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge.

    On Sept. 12, 2024, Brazilian authorities issued a warrant for Araujo’s arrest or failure to serve a sentence after conviction.

    Officers with ICE Boston located and arrested Araujo in Woonsocket Jan. 13, 2025.

    On Feb. 18, a DOJ immigration judge ordered Araujo removed from the United States to Brazil. Officers with ICE Boston effectuated the removal March 27 and turned Araujo over to Brazilian authorities.

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kanawha County Man Sentenced for Withholding Information in Bankruptcy Case

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Eugene Wells, 73, of Marmet, was sentenced today to one year of federal probation for withholding records relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy from an officer of the court or a United States Trustee entitled to its possession.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, a Charleston business solely owned by Wells’ wife filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Wells helped with the business’ day-to-day management, including by overseeing many of its financial affairs, but was never an employee of the business or a registered owner or manager. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he applied for and obtained five loans in the business’ name from February 2023 through February 2024, knowing that the business had filed for bankruptcy protection. Wells further admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the loans to the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held a hearing on the U.S. Trustee’s motion to dismiss the business’ bankruptcy case. That day, the bankruptcy lawyer for the business informed the U.S. Trustee of the existence of one of the four loans that Wells had obtained by that time in the business’ name. When the bankruptcy court confronted Wells about the loan, Wells lied under oath about the circumstances surrounding its origins. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the other three active loans while the bankruptcy judge questioned him under oath. Wells further admitted that the fifth loan, obtained on February 8, 2024, was not approved by the bankruptcy court or disclosed to the U.S. Trustee. On February 21, 2024, the bankruptcy court dismissed the business’ bankruptcy case.

    A total of $68,000 was obtained in proceeds from the five loans and used for the business’ operations or to pay down debt. The lender charged the business $9,750 in fees. Wells’ agreement with the lender gave the lender priority status over other creditors, including by granting the undisclosed lender direct access to the business’ bank account. This arrangement allowed the lender to withdraw funds directly from the business’ account without court oversight.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.

    United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-7.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain Celebrates Police Week, Votes to Equip and Support Men and Women in Uniform

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) thanked and honored our police officers during National Police Week and voted to pass three pieces of legislation to equip and support law enforcement officers.

    “We are in awe of our men and women in uniform, who devoted their lives to serving and keeping our communities safe,” Chairwoman McClain said. “House Republicans have always backed the blue, and this week was a testament to that commitment. This week, we passed three pieces of legislation to strengthen law enforcement readiness and keep our officers safe.” 

    The U.S. House of Representatives passed the LEOSA Reform Act (H.R. 2243), the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act (H.R. 2255), and the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act (H.R. 2240). 

    H.R. 2243 allows qualified law enforcement officers who have committed themselves to their communities the opportunity to continue doing so by extending their concealed carry privileges.

    H.R. 2255 allows current federal law enforcement officers in good standing to purchase a retired weapon at market value from a federal agency.

    H.R. 2240 requires the Department of Justice to collect and report data on violent attacks against law enforcement officers, including government responses and gaps in reporting.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minnesota Man Indicted For Attempted Arson Of Memorial U.S. Army Tank With A Molotov Cocktail

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Trang Johnny Nha Phan (25, Minnesota) with attempted arson of federal property, possessing a Molotov cocktail as a convicted felon, and using a Molotov cocktail in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted on all counts, Phan faces a minimum penalty of 35 years, up to 65, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Phan that the United States intends to forfeit assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. 

    According to the indictment, on February 14, 2025, Phan attempted to set fire using a Molotov cocktail to a M-60 A-3 tank owned by the U.S. Army. At the time, Phan had been convicted for threats of violence and possessing three grams or more of heroin.

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

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

    This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Idaho Man Indicted After Allegedly Assaulting U.S. Park Rangers in Southern Utah

    Source: US FBI

    SAINT GEORGE, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an Idaho man after he allegedly assaulted federal officers with his vehicle at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Southern Utah.  

    Gregory Aaron Farley, 51, of Hazelton, Idaho, was charged by complaint on May 3, 2025.  
        
    According to court documents, on May 3, 2025, two U.S. Park Rangers working at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area responded to a dispatch call that reported an erratic driver in a white pick-up truck near Lake Powell. At 7:47 p.m., the rangers conducted a traffic stop on Highway 89 on a pick-up truck matching the vehicle description. Farley was the driver and while one of the rangers was speaking to him, Farley fled the scene at a high rate of speed, nearly hitting one of the rangers. The rangers returned to their patrol vehicle and pursued Farley. During the pursuit, Farley turned around and collided into the driver’s side of the rangers’ vehicle. As a result, the rangers were pushed into the shoulder of the road, the airbags deployed, and the driver’s side door was rendered inoperable. After Farley hit the rangers’ truck, he reversed his truck and was still facing the rangers’ truck. In response, both rangers fired their weapons at Farley. Additional officers arrived on the scene, Farley exited his truck, and received medical aid. He was then taken into custody.  

    Farley is charged with assault on an employee of the United States with a Dangerous Weapon. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for May 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate judge in Room 2B of the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen P. Dent and Joseph M. Hood of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.

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

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

    Attachments:

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Urges Trump Administration to Investigate Potential Ties Between Antisemitic Murderer and Foreign Terrorist Organizations

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Following the heinous antisemitic murders of two Israeli Embassy employees last week, one of whom was a native of the Kansas City area, Congressman Alford is respectfully urging the Trump Administration to investigate potential ties between the alleged murderer and designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

    Read the full letter here or below:

    “Dar Secretaries Rubio and Bessent, and Attorney General Bondi,

    “Today I am writing to you with a heavy heart to address the tragic murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. These two young employees of the Israeli Embassy were murdered as they were leaving the Capital Jewish Museum. They had just attended an event focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza. Milgrim and Lischinsky, aged 26 and 28 respectively, were reportedly in a relationship and set to be engaged next week according to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter. My heart goes out to both families.

    “According to eyewitness reports, the alleged murderer, Elias Rodriguez, held a keffiyeh and shouted, “Free Palestine.” Rodriguez had been a member of the Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a revolutionary socialist party that has been a prominent supporter of Hamas and other antisemitic terror groups.  A now removed article in the group’s Liberation paper featured a picture of Rodriguez as well as quotes from him expressing fury at Amazon for the “whitening” of Seattle due to Amazon’s employees. The same article went on to list an “Elias Rodriguez” as one of its activists.

    “The Chicago chapter of the PSL held a gala benefiting the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance (MECA), a California-based nonprofit with reported ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).  The PFLP is a State Department designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and is a Marxist-Leninist group that is the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

    “Given these deeply concerning connections, I respectfully urge you to investigate potential foreign funding sources for extremist groups that may incite acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. I am especially alarmed by individuals and organizations operating domestically that maintain ties to designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations and promote antisemitic ideologies.

    “I respectfully request your responses to the following questions:

    1. Are there any financial ties between the Party of Socialism and Liberation and Foreign Terrorist Organizations?
    2. What steps have the State and Treasury Departments taken to monitor foreign funding, especially by FTOs, of individuals or groups organizing anti-Israel and antisemitic events in the United States?
    3. What procedures are in place between the State Department and the Department of Justice to monitor non-citizens within the United States who express support for Foreign Terrorist Organizations?

    “Tragedies like this must not be allowed to happen. I trust you will treat this matter with the seriousness it demands and look forward to your response.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –