NewzIntel.com

Category: US Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hawaii Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Elderly Orange County Victim Out of Nearly $2 Million that Cost the Victim His Home and His Yacht

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SANTA ANA, California – A Hawaii man has pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge for defrauding a 78-year-old Orange County victim out of nearly $2 million by false promises of brokering the sale of the victim’s yacht, the Justice Department announced today.

    John Tamahere McCabe, 42, of Kailua, Hawaii, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of wire fraud.

    According to his plea agreement, McCabe offered to help the victim sell his yacht. What the victim didn’t know was McCabe used fabricated documents to change the ownership of the yacht to McCabe’s name. Once in his name, McCabe then diverted the proceeds to his own personal bank account and used most of the proceeds for his own personal purposes.

    McCabe further convinced him to transfer his million-dollar Irvine residence into a McCabe-controlled limited liability company (LLC), claiming that it would protect the victim’s most-valuable asset and provide tax benefits. Without the victim’s knowledge or consent, McCabe caused himself to be the sole manager of the LLC and caused $1 million in loans to be taken out and secured by the victim’s residence, draining all its equity.

    Once McCabe spent the loan proceeds, he defaulted on the loans and the victim’s residence was sold at a foreclosure sale, leaving the victim homeless. Through this scheme, McCabe defrauded the victim out of approximately $1,814,000.

    United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter scheduled an October 16 sentencing hearing, at which time McCabe will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    The FBI investigated this case with the help of the Irvine Police Department.   

    First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Waier is prosecuting this case.

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. English, Spanish and other languages are available. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Minors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Baltimore, Maryland – Harrison James Miller, 32, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and the commissioning of a felony crime involving a minor by a registered sex offender.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Gina M. Cirincion, State’s Attorney for Washington County; and Chief Paul Kifer, Hagerstown Police Department.

    According to court documents and the guilty plea, Miller was ordered to register as a sex offender after a conviction in Pennsylvania involving an 8-year-old child.  In August 2022, upon release from prison, Miller moved to Hagerstown, Maryland, but did not register as a sex offender as required by law.

    He then gained access to two children, ages 4 and 5, and sexually abused them over a period of several months. Additionally, Miller took images of the minors which he stored in a password protected folder on his cell phone. Miller was arrested and charged after one of the minors disclosed the abuse to his mother. Through a search of Miller’s phone, law enforcement uncovered the hidden images and other evidence.

    Miller faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years and a maximum of 80 years in federal prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for these offenses. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2025, at 2 p.m.

    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 Attorney’s 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page to learn about Internet safety education.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Hagerstown Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.

    For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Peruvian National Extradited for Overseeing Call Center That Threatened and Defrauded Spanish-Speaking U.S. Consumers

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A resident of Lima, Peru, accused of operating a large fraud and extortion scheme, was extradited to the United States and made her initial appearance in Miami federal court, the Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.

    Carla Magaly Alcedo Mendoza (Alcedo), 43, of Lima, Peru, will face federal charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and extortion. Alcedo was arrested on March 27, 2023, by Peruvian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request.

    According to the indictment, the defendant managed and operated Peruvian call centers from January 2013 through December 2018. The defendant and her co-conspirators in Peru allegedly used Internet-based telephone calls to contact Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States. These call centers falsely told victims they worked on behalf of universities, Hispanic help centers, and government entities and that the victims had been selected to receive financial assistance for English language programs. Many consumers expressed interest in receiving the products. In later calls, Alcedo and her co-conspirators falsely claimed the victims were required to pay storage and other fees related to the materials. When victims refused to pay, Alcedo and her co-conspirators pressured and extorted these victims, including by claiming they would be taken to court or even arrested if they failed to make payments.

    “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank the Republic of Peru, including the Peruvian National Police, for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States. The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”

    “The reach of American justice is boundless in pursuing fraudsters who target the elderly and other vulnerable groups,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Transnational criminals who use scams, fear, and intimidation to steal from victims will be held accountable.”

    “Today marks the fourteenth arrest and tenth extradition in this investigation, which was made possible by the outstanding collaboration between federal and international partners. We have proven that when we work together, no criminal is beyond our reach,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division.

    Alcedo is charged in an 18-count federal indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, Alcedo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Speare Hodges are prosecuting the case. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Peruvian National Police, and the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition.

    The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

    More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.

    For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Law Faculty Member and Librarian Receive Promotions

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The Office of the Provost has announced the promotions of one UConn School of Law faculty member and a law librarian. Rachel Timm has been promoted to Clinical Professor of Law. Tanya Johnson has been promoted to Librarian 3.

    “We are extremely proud of these two outstanding colleagues,” Dean Eboni S. Nelson said. “Professor Timm is an excellent educator who helps prepare students for successful and meaningful careers. Tanya Johnson is a skilled librarian and teacher who provides invaluable assistance to our students, faculty, and patrons. We could not be more pleased to see their many contributions recognized.”

    Timm, who joined UConn Law in 2019, teaches legal practice courses, including Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation, and Research and Writing. She was recently named the winner of this year’s Perry Zirkel ’76 Distinguished Teaching Award. Timm previously worked as a trial attorney for the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section at the Department of Justice. She earned her JD from Creighton University School of Law.

    Johnson provides reference and research services in all areas of the law, co-manages the library’s research assistant pool, and provides general and specialized legal research instruction. She also teaches courses as an adjunct professor, including Advanced Legal Research, Research for Social Justice, and Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession. Johnson earned her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law and her MLIS from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Prior to her library work, Tanya practiced law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

    These promotions come on the recommendation of the Office of the Provost and by vote of the University’s Board of Trustees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Statement for World Press Freedom Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, released the following statement ahead of World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated annually on May 3: 
    “A free press is essential, both here in America and internationally. It is vital that journalists are protected—not impeded, silenced, or threatened. 
    “The Trump White House has shown nothing but distain for the constitutionally-protected press, abusing the immense powers of the Executive by obstructing the media at all costs. President Trump has entered frivolous legal battles with press outlets he disagrees with. His administration has threatened and sought to block federal funding, including for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, PBS, NPR, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, and the Voice of America, among others. The FCC and the Department of Justice, pressured by President Trump, have targeted reporters. Freedom of the press is under attack in America.  
    “Reporters and members of the press are also targeted abroad, where many have been imprisoned, assaulted, and killed. This year alone, 15 journalists and media workers have been killed while reporting, 13 of them in Palestine, and one in Ukraine. Last year was the deadliest ever, with at least 124 killed, 82 of whom died in Palestine. 
    “On World Press Freedom Day I honor Dylan Collins, a Vermonter and talented video journalist for the AFP news agency. Dylan was attacked and wounded by Israeli Defense Forces while reporting in Southern Lebanon. Five of his colleagues were also hurt, and a fellow journalist traveling with him died. The Vermont Delegation met with Dylan after the attack by the IDF, and demanded the Department of State and the Department of Justice conduct credible and thorough investigations into the attack, which we believe violated U.S. and international law. To date, the U.S. government has failed to investigate this deplorable attack on an American journalist. I am committed to demanding accountability for Dylan and his colleagues. 
    “Freedom of the press is enshrined in the First Amendment. It is an essential part of our nation’s DNA. On World Press Freedom Day and every day, I will stand up for the safety and freedom of journalists—here in America and around the world.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Marshall County Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    OXFORD, MS – James Thomas Arnold, 38, of Potts Camp, was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.

    The investigation began when law enforcement discovered Arnold used a peer-to-peer network to download videos and images of children, including minors under the age of 12, that depicted sexual abuse.

    U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Arnold to 180 months imprisonment followed by a 10-year term of supervised release for the offense. He is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The Court ordered that Arnold pay restitution to the victims who were identified in the offense in the amount of $41,500.00.

    “Protecting children always has been and always will be a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud of the partnership with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the FBI that has yet again produced a lengthy sentence for an individual who views children as sexual objects.”

    “My office is committed to holding individuals who exploit children accountable for their crimes. Thanks to the diligent work of our cyber-crime investigators, we successfully stopped a predator from doing more harm,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am grateful to our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work to secure this sentence. Together, we are making Mississippi a safer place for everyone.”

    “The FBI remains committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens—our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Mr. Arnold’s sentencing underscores the seriousness of crimes against children and strengthens our dedication to holding offenders accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure these predators are brought to justice.”

    The case was investigated and conducted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the FBI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Roberts and Julie Addison prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Bergen Woman Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A North Bergen woman was charged with distribution of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor child, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Natasha Rivas, 23, was charged by complaint and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court.

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

    After an individual (the “Individual”) was arrested in January 2025 for possession of child pornography, law enforcement discovered that the Individual exchanged messages with Rivas wherein Rivas distributed images containing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) to the Individual and discussed sexually assaulting children for Rivas’s and the Individual’s mutual sexual gratification.  The images Rivas distributed involved a prepubescent minor child whom she was with at a hotel in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey in July 2024.

    The charge in the complaint carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment as well as a fine of up to $250,000.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges.  She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly for their assistance.

    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 U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

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

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Timothy Donahue, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE ERO Newark arrests illegally present Venezuelan wanted overseas for homicide

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEWARK, N.J. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations officers in Newark arrested Juan Luis Ramos Marin, 23, an illegal alien and Venezuelan fugitive wanted for homicide in his home country, in East Orange April 29.

    “This illegal alien wanted for a violent crime committed overseas was placed into removal proceedings for violating immigration law by illegally entering the United States,” said ICE Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris. “Ramos is a criminal alien with multiple charges for crimes committed on the East Coast primarily related to theft. We are dedicated to keeping our public safe from fugitives who think they can hide in the U.S.”

    On an unknown date and an unknown place, Ramos entered the United States, without being inspected, admitted or paroled by an immigration officer.

    Ramos has criminal convictions in the United States for disorderly conduct and petit larceny, with pending charges for multiple theft-related offenses, including property theft valued between $100 and $25,000, and possession of stolen property with intent to sell.

    On April 9, the U.S. Border Patrol referred Ramos to ICE Newark, identifying him as a fugitive from justice in Brazil.

    ICE Newark, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Newark and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, arrested Ramos April 29 and served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge. He is detained in ICE custody without bond.

    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 communities on X at @ERONewark.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Louisiana Nurse Practitioner Convicted of $2M Medicare Fraud

    Source: US State of California

    A federal jury convicted a Louisiana nurse practitioner yesterday for her role in an over $2 million health care fraud scheme.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, was a nurse practitioner and enrolled provider with Medicare. Chatman-Ashley worked as an independent contractor for companies that purportedly provided telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. As part of the scheme, the defendant caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME). Chatman-Ashley routinely ordered knee braces, suspension sleeves, and other types of DME for patients who had not been examined by her or another medical provider. Chatman-Ashley concealed the scheme by signing documentation falsely certifying that she had consulted with the beneficiaries and personally conducted assessments of them. From 2017 to 2019, the defendant signed more than 1,000 orders for medically unnecessary DME, causing over $2 million in fraudulent Medicare claims and over $1 million in reimbursements. In exchange for the orders, Chatman-Ashley received kickbacks and bribes from the telehealth services companies.

    “Today, a Louisiana jury convicted Shanone Chatman-Ashley of health care fraud for brazenly cheating Medicare out of its limited resources,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, the Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dishonest medical practitioners put significant strain on our health care system and reduce the quality of patient care. The Department of Justice will not tolerate medical professionals who fraudulently enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case in the pursuit of justice.”

    “This defendant not only defrauded the Medicare Program but went against everything the medical profession stands for, which is a promise to provide ethical and responsible patient care,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “She took advantage of beneficiaries who were elderly and handicapped to order items for them that were not medically necessary. This office is committed to continuing to work with our federal partners to stop this type of fraud in the Western District of Louisiana.”

    “Illegal kickback payments undermine and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Both the payer and recipient of kickbacks benefit from these schemes, but it’s ultimately the taxpayers who foot the bill.  HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with law enforcement and prosecutors to protect the Medicare trust fund that millions of Americans depend on.”

    Chatman-Ashley was convicted of five counts of health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker for the Western District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Demands Attorney General Bondi To Recuse Herself From Any Work Benefitting Private Prison Company Due To Conflicts Of Interest

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 02, 2025
    Durbin cites Bondi’s previous representation of GEO Group and her current role overseeing DOJ’s immigration enforcement efforts, builds on his amped up Congressional oversight of Trump Administration’s immigration detention agenda
    CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to recuse herself from any Justice Department (DOJ)-related work that could benefit her former lobbying client, the GEO Group, a major private prison contractor whose largest source of revenue is from contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
    In a letter to Attorney General Bondi, Durbin raises serious ethical concerns due to her past representation of the GEO Group and her current role in overseeing DOJ’s immigration enforcement efforts, given DOJ’s central role in advancing the Trump Administration’s immigration agenda. He also seeks clarification on whether appropriate recusals and ethical safeguards have been implemented, considering Bondi’s prior lobbying for the GEO Group and recent actions undermining internal ethics oversight.
    Durbin began with a specific call for recusal, writing: “With DOJ’s outsized role implementing President Trump’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation agenda and the GEO Group securing long-term, multimillion-dollar contracts in recent weeks,  we call on you to recuse yourself from any and all DOJ activities, communications, or policy decisions related to immigration detention, enforcement, and contracting that could directly or indirectly benefit the GEO Group or impact its federal contracts.”
    Durbin then cited multiple memoranda that have escalated DOJ involvement in immigration enforcement since the start of the Trump Administration.
    Durbin continued by outlining the GEO Group’s significant influence in the private prison industry and recent actions that undercut the Attorney General’s promises during her confirmation hearing, writing: “During your confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, when asked if you would recuse yourself from any matters involving your past clients, such as the GEO Group, you said you ‘[would] consult with the career ethics officials within the Department of Justice and make the appropriate decision.’ Yet, within weeks of President Trump assuming office, then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove removed the Department’s senior career ethics official and replaced him with two political appointees with limited experience. This marks a dramatic break from past Democratic and Republican administrations, which rightly entrusted a senior career DOJ official, not political appointees, with critical decisions on ethics, recognizing that politicizing this role would endanger both the Department’s integrity and its employees.”
    Durbin concluded with admonishing the stripping of critical safeguards at the Department before making a series of information requests, writing: “Given the removal of critical safeguards designed to ensure that the actions of Department officials are ethical, we can no longer be sure you have properly recused yourself from matters related to the GEO Group. With DOJ fully integrated into the Administration’s immigration enforcement agenda and GEO securing long-term, multimillion-dollar contracts as a result, you cannot credibly claim neutrality on enforcement matters. The ethical considerations are too great to ignore.”
    For a PDF of the letter to Attorney General Bondi, click here.
    The demand for recusal is the latest step in Durbin’s ongoing inquiry into medical and mental health care in DHS’s facilities. Yesterday, Durbin sent oversight requests to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and three major private contractors operating immigration facilities—CoreCivic, the GEO Group, and LaSalle Corrections—seeking clarity on the spending of taxpayer dollars, existing safeguards and accountability measures, and protection of detainees’ rights.
    Earlier this year, Durbin released a revealing investigative report on inadequate care in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities and pressed for further investigation into deficient medical care in CBP detention facilities after whistleblower reports alleged systemic failures by DHS to ensure proper oversight of its medical care contractor.
    Durbin continues to actively investigate care in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities, which he initiated with letters to ICE and the Government Accountability Office. A June 2024 report from the American Civil Liberties Union, Physicians for Human Rights, and American Oversight found that 95 percent of documented deaths in ICE custody between 2017-2021 were likely preventable.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Louisiana Nurse Practitioner Convicted of $2M Medicare Fraud

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A federal jury convicted a Louisiana nurse practitioner yesterday for her role in an over $2 million health care fraud scheme.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, was a nurse practitioner and enrolled provider with Medicare. Chatman-Ashley worked as an independent contractor for companies that purportedly provided telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. As part of the scheme, the defendant caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME). Chatman-Ashley routinely ordered knee braces, suspension sleeves, and other types of DME for patients who had not been examined by her or another medical provider. Chatman-Ashley concealed the scheme by signing documentation falsely certifying that she had consulted with the beneficiaries and personally conducted assessments of them. From 2017 to 2019, the defendant signed more than 1,000 orders for medically unnecessary DME, causing over $2 million in fraudulent Medicare claims and over $1 million in reimbursements. In exchange for the orders, Chatman-Ashley received kickbacks and bribes from the telehealth services companies.

    “Today, a Louisiana jury convicted Shanone Chatman-Ashley of health care fraud for brazenly cheating Medicare out of its limited resources,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, the Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dishonest medical practitioners put significant strain on our health care system and reduce the quality of patient care. The Department of Justice will not tolerate medical professionals who fraudulently enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case in the pursuit of justice.”

    “This defendant not only defrauded the Medicare Program but went against everything the medical profession stands for, which is a promise to provide ethical and responsible patient care,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “She took advantage of beneficiaries who were elderly and handicapped to order items for them that were not medically necessary. This office is committed to continuing to work with our federal partners to stop this type of fraud in the Western District of Louisiana.”

    “Illegal kickback payments undermine and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Both the payer and recipient of kickbacks benefit from these schemes, but it’s ultimately the taxpayers who foot the bill.  HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with law enforcement and prosecutors to protect the Medicare trust fund that millions of Americans depend on.”

    Chatman-Ashley was convicted of five counts of health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker for the Western District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisiana Nurse Practitioner Convicted of $2M Medicare Fraud

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    A federal jury convicted a Louisiana nurse practitioner yesterday for her role in an over $2 million health care fraud scheme.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, was a nurse practitioner and enrolled provider with Medicare. Chatman-Ashley worked as an independent contractor for companies that purportedly provided telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. As part of the scheme, the defendant caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME). Chatman-Ashley routinely ordered knee braces, suspension sleeves, and other types of DME for patients who had not been examined by her or another medical provider. Chatman-Ashley concealed the scheme by signing documentation falsely certifying that she had consulted with the beneficiaries and personally conducted assessments of them. From 2017 to 2019, the defendant signed more than 1,000 orders for medically unnecessary DME, causing over $2 million in fraudulent Medicare claims and over $1 million in reimbursements. In exchange for the orders, Chatman-Ashley received kickbacks and bribes from the telehealth services companies.

    “Today, a Louisiana jury convicted Shanone Chatman-Ashley of health care fraud for brazenly cheating Medicare out of its limited resources,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, the Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dishonest medical practitioners put significant strain on our health care system and reduce the quality of patient care. The Department of Justice will not tolerate medical professionals who fraudulently enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case in the pursuit of justice.”

    “This defendant not only defrauded the Medicare Program but went against everything the medical profession stands for, which is a promise to provide ethical and responsible patient care,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “She took advantage of beneficiaries who were elderly and handicapped to order items for them that were not medically necessary. This office is committed to continuing to work with our federal partners to stop this type of fraud in the Western District of Louisiana.”

    “Illegal kickback payments undermine and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Both the payer and recipient of kickbacks benefit from these schemes, but it’s ultimately the taxpayers who foot the bill.  HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with law enforcement and prosecutors to protect the Medicare trust fund that millions of Americans depend on.”

    Chatman-Ashley was convicted of five counts of health care fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HHS-OIG investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker for the Western District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mississippi Man Sentenced To More Than Twelve Years In Federal Prison For Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Jonathan Patrick Maston (59, Pass Christian, MS) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Maston entered a guilty plea on December 19, 2024.

    According to the plea agreement, in April 2022, Maston arrived in Port Canaveral, returning from an international cruise. As he was disembarking the ship, Maston was referred for a secondary inspection. A search of his cellphone revealed CSAM images and videos. During an interview with law enforcement, Maston admitted to viewing CSAM over the last 15 years. A search warrant was also executed on Maston’s iCloud account, which revealed additional CSAM. In total, the contents of Maston’s cellphone and iCloud account contained more than 1,000 CSAM images and videos.

    “The sentencing of this child predator underscores our dedication to investigating crimes against the most vulnerable in our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “The exploitation of children is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated, and HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and apprehending those who abuse children.”

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

    This is another case 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kentucky Man Sentenced to 10 Plus Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sex Offenses Against a Child in Southern Illinois

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

    BENTON, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a Paducah, Kentucky, man to 121 months’ imprisonment for attempting to entice a minor in southern Illinois to engage in illegal sexual activity.

    In October, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts for Robert R. Rodriguez, 41, on one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of soliciting an obscene visual depiction of a minor.

    “Those who target children for sex crimes sicken us all. The federal justice system will relentlessly pursue and prosecute these offenders to ensure they face severe consequences for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

    According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Rodriguez initiated conversation with an undercover federal agent on an online social media platform in May 2023. In the messages, Rodriguez discussed meeting with a purported 9-year-old child to engage in sexual activity and requested child sexual abuse material.

    On May 10, 2023, law enforcement arrested Rodriguez in Marion, Illinois, when he tried to meet with the purported 9-year-old child. 

    “This sentencing makes one thing clear: the FBI Springfield Field Office is taking decisive action to protect the children of Illinois. We will use every tool at our disposal to stop those who seek to do them harm, and with our partners at the Department of Justice, we will pursue the highest penalties for these crimes.”

    Following imprisonment, Rodriguez will serve seven years of supervised release.

    FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Leggans and David Sanders 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nurse Practitioner from Opelousas Convicted of Medicare Fraud by Federal Jury

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal jury in Lafayette has convicted Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, a Nurse Practitioner, for her role in an over $2 million health care fraud scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. United States District Judge David C. Joseph presided over the four-day trial.  

    Chatman-Ashley was indicted in December 2023 and charged with five counts of health care fraud related to her involvement in the scheme to defraud the Medicare Program.  Testimony and court documents introduced at trial this week established that Chatman-Ashley was enrolled as a nurse practitioner provider with Medicare. She worked as an independent contractor for companies that purportedly provided telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. Chatman-Ashley routinely ordered knee braces, suspension sleeves, and other types of durable medical equipment for beneficiaries who she had not examined and who had not been examined by another medical provider. For example, evidence produced at trial showed that Chatman-Ashley ordered a left knee brace for a beneficiary whose left leg had been amputated. The defendant concealed the scheme by signing documentation falsely certifying that she had consulted with the beneficiaries and personally conducted assessments of them. 

    From 2017 to 2019, Chatman-Ashley signed more than 1,000 orders for unnecessary medical equipment, causing over $2 million in fraudulent Medicare claims and over $1 million in reimbursements. In exchange for the orders, Chatman-Ashley received kickbacks and bribes from the companies she contracted with. 

    “This defendant not only defrauded the Medicare Program but went against everything the medical profession stands for which is a promise to provide ethical and responsible patient care,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “She took advantage of beneficiaries who were elderly and handicapped to order items for them that were not medically necessary. This office is committed to continuing to work with our federal partners to stop this type of fraud in the Western District of Louisiana.”

    “Illegal kickback payments undermine and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” said Jason E. Meadows, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Both the payer and recipient of kickbacks benefit from these schemes, but it’s ultimately the taxpayers who foot the bill.  HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with law enforcement and prosecutors to protect the Medicare trust fund that millions of Americans depend on.”

    Chatman-Ashley faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count.  Her sentencing hearing has been set for July 31, 2025, at 10 a.m.

    The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section of the Criminal Division.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Army Soldier Charged with Distribution of Cocaine Following DEA Operation at Illegal Nightclub

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

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, age 28, was charged by complaint with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

    According to the criminal complaint, Orona-Rodriguez, while serving as an active-duty U.S. Army solider, unlawfully distributed controlled substances.  During the week of April 21, 2025, Orona-Rodriguez sold cocaine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.  Additionally, when investigators obtained a search warrant for Orona-Rodriguez’s phone, they found text messages between at least September 16, 2024, and April 9, 2025, which appear to show him repeatedly purchasing cocaine and selling it to others.   

    Orona-Rodriguez appears to hold a leadership role in a business called Immortal Security LLC, which provides armed security at “nightclubs” – including an afterhours, unlawful nightclub called Warike – within Colorado Springs, Colorado.  On numerous occasions, the Colorado Springs Police Department received 911 calls related to Warike citing a wide variety of alleged crimes, including weapons violations, assault, narcotics, and other violent crime.  Warike was the site of a federal search warrant that was executed and led by the DEA on April 27, 2025.  Orona-Rodriguez was one of approximately 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members present at Warike during the execution of that search warrant. 

    The investigation is being conducted by the Denver Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DEA’s Colorado Springs Resident Office.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Houlihan.

    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.

    The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Case Number:  25-mj-00092-TPO

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio County Reptile Dealer Admits to Wildlife Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Kandis, age 64, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to wildlife trafficking in violation of the Lacey Act.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Kandis is reptile dealer and operates a reptile house in Wheeling. During a covert investigation of reptile shows in the Midwest, Kandis illegally purchased snakes, dozens of which were bullsnakes. Bullsnakes are native to Indiana, where their sale is illegal under state law. Kandis then transported the snakes to West Virginia and sold them.

    The Lacey Act prohibits the importation, exportation, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase of any fish or wildlife or plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law, treaty, or regulation of the United States.

    Kandis faces up to one year in prison and a fine of $100,000 or twice the gain or loss of the crime. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Maximillian Nogay and Trial Attorney Lauren D. Steele, Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

    The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources investigated.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MARIANNA MAN FOUND GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY TO POSSESS WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lorenzo Heatrice, 70, was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one involving five grams of methamphetamine and the other involving 50 grams. The guilty verdict was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    In 2023, Heatrice was identified by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office as a methamphetamine distributor. According to evidence presented at trial and court records, between June 2023 and April 2024, Heatrice conspired with other known drug traffickers in the Marianna, Florida area to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine into the community. On two separate occasions in September 2023, Heatrice also sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

    The conviction was the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric Welch.

    Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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).

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-59 HAWAIʻI CONDEMNS ADMINISTRATION’S ILLEGAL ATTEMPT TO INTERFERE WITH STATE LAWSUIT AGAINST BIG OIL, SUES FOSSIL FUEL INTERESTS FOR CLIMATE DECEPTION

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-59 HAWAIʻI CONDEMNS ADMINISTRATION’S ILLEGAL ATTEMPT TO INTERFERE WITH STATE LAWSUIT AGAINST BIG OIL, SUES FOSSIL FUEL INTERESTS FOR CLIMATE DECEPTION

    Posted on May 1, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

    HAWAIʻI CONDEMNS ADMINISTRATION’S ILLEGAL ATTEMPT TO INTERFERE WITH STATE LAWSUIT AGAINST BIG OIL

     

    Hawaiʻi Sues Fossil Fuel Interests for Climate Deception

     

    News Release 2025-59

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    May 1, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez condemns the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi on April 30, 2025, seeking to preemptively halt a separate lawsuit against Big Oil companies for their deceptive conduct leading to the current climate crisis: 

    Attorney General Lopez said: “We have an obligation to the people of Hawaiʻi, to do everything in our power to fight deceptive practices from these fossil fuel companies that erode Hawaiʻi’s public health, natural resources and economy. The federal lawsuit filed by the Justice Department attempts to block Hawaiʻi from holding the fossil fuel industry responsible for deceptive conduct that caused climate change damage to Hawaiʻi.” 

    Governor Josh Green, M.D. states: “Hawaiʻi suffered a devastating climate-driven, wildfire-initiated disaster on Maui that resulted in the tragic loss of 102 lives and billions of dollars in damage. This climate-related wildfire was the deadliest in United States history in more than a century.” 

    “The use of the United States Department of Justice to fight on behalf of the fossil fuel industry is deeply disturbing and is a direct attack on Hawaiʻi’s rights as a sovereign state,” added Attorney General Lopez. “The state of Hawaiʻi will not be deterred from moving forward with our climate deception lawsuit. My department will vigorously oppose this gross federal overreach.”

    Notwithstanding the federal lawsuit, Governor Josh Green M.D., and Attorney General Lopez today announced a lawsuit against fossil fuel companies for their deceptive conduct and failure to warn about their products’ climate change danger, now harming Hawaiʻi’s public health, infrastructure, natural resources and economy. The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit.

    “The climate crisis is here, and the costs of surviving it are rising every day,” said Governor Green. “Hawaiʻi taxpayers should not have to foot that bill. The burden should fall on those who deceived and failed to warn consumers about the climate dangers lurking in their products. This lawsuit is about holding those parties accountable, shifting the costs of surviving the climate crisis back where they belong, and protecting Hawaiʻi citizens into the future.”

    The state’s lawsuit names seven groups of affiliated fossil fuel companies and the American Petroleum Institute, the largest oil and gas trade association in the United States. It alleges seven causes of action against all defendants, including violations of Hawaiʻi’s Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices Statute, failure to warn, harm to public trust resources, public and private nuisance, trespass, and negligence. The lawsuit also alleges civil aiding and abetting against the American Petroleum institute.

    “These defendants had a duty to warn people about the climate dangers associated with their products, or to mitigate those dangers. But they did neither of those things,” said Attorney General Lopez. “Instead, they put profits ahead of people and facilitated the increased use of their dangerous products through decades of deceptive conduct.  They violated Hawaiʻi law, harmed all Hawaiʻi residents, and will now be held accountable in a Hawaiʻi court.”

    The lawsuit filed today details the history of defendants’ deceptive conduct, and many of the resulting harms inflicted on the state of Hawaiʻi as a result of that conduct. Some key excerpts from the complaint filed today:

    • “Climate change has already impacted and will continue to harm Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices including upland forest practices, traditional agriculture, and coastal and nearshore marine practices.” (para 274)
    • “As of 2021, 66 state-owned facilities have reported flooding from sea level rise and precipitation. These facilities include public housing complexes in Kāneʻohe, the Hulihe‘e Palace historic site, and the Kauaʻi and Oʻahu Community Correctional Centers.” (para 280)
    • “Moreover, 70 percent of the state’s beaches have already experienced erosion, and 13 miles of beach have been lost across the islands. These impacts will continue to worsen as the sea level rises further. By 2050, NOAA predicts that more than 90 percent of the state’s beaches will be receding.” (para 280)
    • “Climate impacts threaten Hawaiʻi water resources. As rainfall levels decline, Hawaiʻi will have decreasing access to freshwater… By 2030, the state may suffer from a freshwater shortfall of 100 million gallons per day.” (para 292)
    • “Climate change increases the threat of wildfires for Hawaiʻi. The 2023 Maui wildfires were the deadliest in modern U.S. history and the worst natural disaster in the history of the state. More than 100 lives were lost, and more than 2,200 structures were destroyed, causing $5.5 billion of damage.” (para 294)
    • “Climate change has, and will continue to have, constant, widespread, and severe impacts to the physical health of Hawaiʻi residents. Rising temperatures and intense heat waves, extreme weather events, related disruptions to health and emergency services, and increased proliferation of vector-borne disease and pathogens will and has already taken its toll.” (para 311)

    The lawsuit requests a jury trial and seeks relief in the form of compensatory, punitive, and natural resource damages; civil penalties; disgorgement of profits; and an order enjoining Defendants from engaging in the unfair or deceptive acts or practices described in the lawsuit, among others.

    A copy of the complaint as filed can be found here.

     

    * * *

     

    Media Contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Transnational Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Saipan, MP – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Ye Fang, aka “BATU”, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 25 years imprisonment, after being convicted of Conspiracy to Possess over 500 Grams of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1).  The court also ordered 5 years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee.  He was also ordered to report to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison.

    Ye Fang arrived in the CNMI from China in 2016 under a tourist visa waiver program.  After his waiver term elapsed, he remained on Saipan where he ran a birth tourism business for three years.  Ye Fang hosted at least 200 women and their families from China so that pregnant women could give birth on island.  He later began trafficking methamphetamine.

    In November 2022, CNMI police executed a search warrant at Ye Fang’s home.  They seized more than one kilogram of methamphetamine.  A CNMI arrest warrant was issued, but Ye Fang remained a fugitive, escaping from Saipan by boat and traveling to Guam in the summer of 2023. From Guam, Ye Fang continued to organize methamphetamine trafficking in the CNMI.  In September 2023, he arranged the shipment of methamphetamine hidden inside lava lamps, which were sent to Saipan from California.  The packages were intercepted by CNMI Customs, who coordinated with the DEA to conduct a controlled delivery.  That resulted in the arrest of co-conspirator Liang Yang, another out of status PRC national.  A total of eight pounds of liquid methamphetamine was seized.

    Ye Fang eventually fled Guam in November 2023 via commercial airline using the identification of another person.  He then traveled to Palau, where he organized the murder of another PRC citizen.  In January 2024, Ye Fang and three others were arrested in Palau for that crime.  Ye Fang pled guilty to manslaughter in March 2024 and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.  In May 2024, he was extradited to the CNMI where he pled guilty to the lava lamp drug scheme.

    “Law enforcement has brought Ye Fang’s Indo-Pacific crime spree to an end,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “He will now serve many years in a United States prison with other high-risk offenders.  Every day of his sentence is day made safer for the people of the CNMI. We will continue to use our resources to combat transnational criminals and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime.”

    “Methamphetamine is potent and highly addictive. This synthetic stimulant has contributed to the overdose crisis facing America. DEA, along with federal and international partners, are in lockstep in our commitment to combat drug networks,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Saipan. “We will vehemently pursue all criminals who flood our communities with this poison.”

    “Today’s sentencing is the direct result of sustained commitment and collaboration between the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Mr. Fang led a violent, transnational narcotics trafficking organization; his crimes significantly contributed to the ongoing drug epidemic facing America and plaguing our island communities. The FBI—standing in resolve with our local, state, and federal partners—is prepared to confront and disrupt these dangerous criminal organizations, wherever they may operate.”

    “The conviction of Mr. Fang is a testament to HSI’s enduring commitment to keep harmful substances out of Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Island,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “Understanding the damage that illegal narcotics do to our communities, we will stop at nothing to hold those accountable for their contributions to drug trafficking within our islands.”

    “As the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the safety of postal employees and the public is our top priority,” said Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  “Anyone who misuses the U.S. Postal Service will be held accountable for their actions. I would like to thank our federal and local law enforcement partners, including our task force partners from the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and Army National Guard Counterdrug Program.”

    This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshal Service for extradition, CNMI Customs, CNMI Department of Public Safety, Republic of Palau Bureau of Public Safety, and in collaboration with the CNMI Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, and the Republic of Palau.

    Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Flores, Jr., and former Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Kost prosecuted this case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.

    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).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prosecutors in CDCA Charge 45 Defendants with Being Illegal Aliens in U.S. Following Removal – a 3,755% Increase from Previous Year

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors in the Central District of California this week criminally charged 45 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States following removal, bringing the total number of defendants charged with this crime since January 20 of this year to 347, a year-over-year increase of 3,755%, the Justice Department announced today.

    The defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include attempted burglary and forgery.

    Since the change in administration this year, federal prosecutors in the seven-county Central District, which includes Los Angeles, have aggressively pursued criminal illegal aliens. In comparison, federal prosecutors in 2024 charged a total of nine defendants with Title 8 United States Code § 1326 – illegal re-entry following removal. In 2023, the office charged eight such defendants.

    “The government has a duty to protect its citizens,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “During the prior administration, this office abdicated its duty by effectively failing to prosecute any illegal re-entry cases. Those days are over. Criminal illegal aliens will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “The difference in numbers is staggering,” said United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd M. Lyons. “Since January 20, this jurisdiction has prosecuted 347 illegal aliens for reentering the United States after removal — but last year, there were only nine of these prosecutions. That’s a 3,755% increase in just over a quarter of the time. Partnerships between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ICE, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI play a critical role in ensuring that individuals who pose threats to public safety are removed from our communities.”

    The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

    The recently filed cases include the following defendants:

    • Paulino González-García, 26, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. González-García was removed in 2018 and has two prior state convictions in Santa Barbara County Superior Court for driving under the influence (DUI). He is in state custody and charged with a third DUI offense. Assistant United States Attorney Christina A. Marquez of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
    • Ricardo Cruz-García, 31, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal. Cruz-García was removed in 2019. He has a 2018 conviction for attempted burglary and 2019 convictions in Orange County Superior Court for possession of a controlled substance, possession of unlawful paraphernalia, and forgery. Assistant United States Attorney Christina A. Marquez of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.

    Federal prosecutors this week also charged the following defendant:

    • José Rosales Ramírez, 27, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Ramirez was caught with possession of two firearms because of his involvement in an incident in Compton where it is alleged that he shot at a moving vehicle. Assistant United States Attorney Christina A. Marquez of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.

    A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.

    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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Union County Teacher Charged with Possession of Child Pornography and Enticement of a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey man was charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse and for enticing a minor to engage in prostitution and produce child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.

    Jack Wilder, 26, of Somerville, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography and two counts of enticement of a minor.  He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

    In or around February 2024, Wilder, a history teacher at a school in Plainfield, New Jersey, communicated with a minor victim using a mobile payment application through which Wilder advised he would pay the minor victim to engage in sexual activity.  The minor victim also sent Wilder sexually explicit pictures.  Thereafter, on or about July 23, 2024, Wilder returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed in New York.  Law enforcement subsequently lawfully searched Wilder’s cell phone and found a video depicting child sexual abuse material and sexually explicit conversations between Wilder and other individuals who identified themselves as minors.

    “These charges are the most recent example of this office’s dedication to protecting children in our community.  We are tirelessly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who victimize and prey on the vulnerable are brought to justice.”

    – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “Our children are the most innocent members of society and they should never be victimized by anyone, particularly​ by those in positions of trust such as teachers,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “In partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, every child has our unwavering commitment ​to bring to justice those that would heinously abuse them for their own profit and perverse self-gratification. No child should have to face a lifetime of trauma caused by a predator. We will continue to make combatting child sexual exploitation a priority, and will always strive to put an end to ​these disturbing acts from happening around the world.”

    The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The charges of enticement of a minor each carry a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges.

    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 U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.

    The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Candace Hom, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MS-13 Gang Member who Led Transnational Fentanyl Distribution Operation from Inside State Prison Sentenced to 17 Years by South Florida Federal Judge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A district judge in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. has sentenced an MS-13 gang member and leader of a transnational drug trafficking organization (DTO) to 210 months in federal prison for running a fentanyl distribution ring, some of which he did from inside a state prison.

    Mario Clifford Rivera (a/k/a “Chuky”), 32, is a member of MS-13, a designated foreign terrorist organization. From at least 2022, Rivera used the U.S. Postal Service to distribute fentanyl smuggled into the United States from Mexico. The fentanyl’s travel path: over the wall from Mexico to California, then to Florida by mail for distribution by Rivera and the DTO dealers he controlled.  

    In early 2023, while free on bond waiting to report to state prison to serve three years for felon in possession of a firearm, throwing a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle, and aggravated assault crimes, Rivera offered to sell two kilograms of fentanyl to a buyer in Florida, some of which was purchased. Once inside state prison, Rivera continued managing and supervising his DTO. He used prison phones and a contraband cell phone to communicate with his dealers on the outside. Rivera directed them on how to sell fentanyl and what prices to charge, all while making sure that he received his share of the drug proceeds.

    Rivera was responsible in this case for distributing over three kilograms of fentanyl. He pled guilty to drug trafficking charges and will begin serving his federal sentence once he completes his state sentence.   

    “Rivera’s 17-year federal prison sentence should serve as a warning to MS-13 and other terrorist gangs who seek to flood our communities with deadly poisons like fentanyl: Whether you operate on the streets or behind prison walls, we will identify your leaders and members, dismantle your networks, and hold you accountable using the full force of American law,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida.   

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted this case.

    FBI Miami; U.S. Postal Inspection Service Miami Division; DEA Miami Field Division; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Division, and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated it. 

    “The safety of South Florida communities is our top priority,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami. “Shutting down drug trafficking networks like Rivera’s is a key step towards achieving this priority. Our long-standing partnerships with USPIS Miami, DEA Miami, HSI Miami and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office were crucial to this successful investigation. Let this case serve as a warning to MS-13 and other gangs who terrorize communities with violence and sow misery through drug trafficking: these activities will not be tolerated.”

    “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to ensuring the U.S. Mail is not used as a tool to distribute dangerous drugs, like fentanyl, to our communities, said Miami Division acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges. “The sentence handed down should serve as a reminder that we remain steadfast with our law enforcement partners to bring those who engage in drug trafficking through the mail to justice.”

    “We and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and arrest those who flood our communities with illicit, dangerous, and highly-addictive drugs,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “It is our top priority to protect our citizens and get these gang members off our streets.”

    “Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners have a clear message: those who traffic deadly narcotics and endanger our communities through gang violence will face the full force of justice,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Jose Figueroa of HSI Miami Field Division. “HSI remains relentless in dismantling transnational criminal organizations like MS-13 and stopping the flow of fentanyl that continues to devastate families across our nation.”

    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).

    It is also part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80140.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Meridian Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Possession of a Machinegun

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A Meridian, Mississippi, man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for possession of a machinegun.

    According to court documents, Demetriz Romelo Hopson, 25, was found by law enforcement officers in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun that had been equipped with a machinegun conversion device or “switch” while Hopson was attending a football game on the campus of Meridian High School. Hopson pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on January 8, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.

    The ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Meridian Schools Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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 USA: The Department of Justice Files Complaint Against Illinois for Encroaching on Federal Immigration Authority

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: The Department of Justice Files Complaint Against Illinois for Encroaching on Federal Immigration Authority

    WASHINGTON – The United States has filed a complaint against the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), Jane Flanagan, Director of IDOL, and Kwame Raoul, the Attorney General for the state of Illinois, alleging that the implementation of SB0508, which amended Illinois’s “Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act,” infringes on federal immigration authority. By imposing confusing rules during the employment verification process and threatening employers with penalties if they do not comply, SB0508 discourages and complicates the use of E-Verify and Form I-9 inspection requirements. E-Verify allows any U.S. employer to electronically confirm the employment eligibility of newly hired employees and Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican national sentenced in drug trafficking conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PLANO, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    Willy Armando Ramirez-Garcia, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 320 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on May 1, 2025.

    According to information presented in court, from January 2021 to May 2021, Ramirez-Garcia was illegally in the United States, but operated as the leader of a methamphetamine trafficking organization in Texas. The group was responsible for smuggling liquid methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico by using bladders hidden within diesel tanks of commercial tractor trailers. The liquid methamphetamine would be transported to the North Texas area where it was then converted into crystal methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was stored at a stash house in Dallas where it would be retrieved by couriers for distribution in kilogram quantities.

    In January 2021, the investigation revealed that the drug trafficking organization included a local narcotics broker, Rosa Velasco De Ballin, her source of supply, Ivan Dejesus Suastes-Cruz, and other co-conspirators, operating from a stash house in Dallas, and a ranch in Kemp, where the methamphetamine was “cooked.” Angel Rodriguez-Campuzano was identified as a distributor working for Suastes-Cruz. It was also determined that Suastes-Cruz and co-conspirators, Juan Fuentez and German Zapata, worked at the direction of Ramirez-Garcia. They assisted in transporting and distributing the methamphetamine, finding buyers, and obtaining properties to store and manufacture the methamphetamine. As a result, a search warrant was obtained for the stash house in Dallas, where approximately 40 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 25 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine were found. The ranch in Kemp was also searched and a meth conversion lab was discovered. In all, agents seized 66 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 25 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine. For their involvement, these co-defendants were previously sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment: De Ballin – 168 months; Rodriguez-Campuzano-295 months; Suastes-Cruz – 240 months; Fuentez – 300 months; and Zapata – 270 months.

    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 Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Collin County Sheriff’s Office, Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, and Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Wynne.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Members and Associates of a Long Island-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted for Narcotics Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Members of “No Budget” Allegedly Distributed Cocaine and Fentanyl Across Long Island, Perpetrated the March 2023 Killing of a Bay Shore Man and Shooting of a Potential Witness

    Earlier today, at the federal court in Central Islip, an indictment was unsealed charging five members and associates of a Long Island-based drug trafficking organization known as “No Budget” with conspiring to distribute cocaine and fentanyl since 2017.  Nicholas Andrade, Julian Hutchins, Prince Jones, Jose Lopez, and Ryan O’Malley engaged in a years’ long drug trafficking operation transporting fentanyl and 137 kilograms of cocaine across the country for distribution primarily in Long Island and Queens, New York.  Andrade, the leader of the organization, is also charged for his role in the March 9, 2023 murder of Jose Manuel Sosa in Bay Shore and the March 10, 2023 shooting in Queens of a potential witness to the murder.  The four defendants arrested today in New York were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke who ordered them detained pending trial.  Hutchins was arrested in Florida and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.  If convicted of the charges, the defendants face up to life in prison.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, announced the arrests and charges.

    “As alleged, the defendants participated in the large-scale distribution of deadly narcotics across Long Island and committed crimes of extreme violence to maintain their drug business,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to eradicate the scourge of fentanyl and drug-related violence on Long Island and the related harm these dangerous drugs pose to our communities.”

    Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Queens District Attorney’s Office, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for their work on the case.

    “The indictment against these individuals who ran a drug trafficking organization known as “No Budget” spared no cost at using violence to run their illicit drug distribution of cocaine and fentanyl,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Tarentino.  “Thanks to the hard work and determination of the DEA and our law enforcement partners, we were able to remove 137 kilos of cocaine destined for the streets of Long Island.  The DEA remains committed to protecting our communities”

    As alleged in court filings, since 2017, the defendants carried out the large scale trafficking and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine on Long Island and maintained a series of stash houses in Queens and on Long Island.  Throughout the investigation, phone records and surveillance regularly captured the defendants meeting with one another and exchanging duffle bags, luggage, or other bags in manners consistent with narcotics trafficking.  As a result of court-authorized searches, law enforcement recovered dozens of kilogram wrappers with cocaine residue, kilogram presses used to reshape narcotics, packaging materials, and quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.  On April 27, 2025, law enforcement intercepted a truck travelling from California to New York containing a shipment of 137 kilograms of cocaine destined for No Budget’s distribution operation.  In total, the investigation revealed that the defendants were responsible for the distribution of over 235 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of fentanyl. 

    In addition to Andrade’s narcotics operation, he directed several violent crimes, including the March 2023 murder of Sosa and the subsequent attempted murder of a potential witness to the murder.  Sosa’s murder was precipitated by a dispute that had escalated over the preceding months between Andrade, Sosa, and another Long Island based drug dealer.  In early March 2023, Andrade and others planned to rob Sosa’s residence.  However, on March 9, 2023, Andrade directed other members of No Budget to kill Sosa.  Later that day, when Sosa was alone in his driveway, the shooter exited a borrowed Audi and shot Sosa multiple times, killing him.  The shooter and getaway driver sped away and the two met up with Andrade.  

    The next day, in an effort to cover up No Budget’s involvement in Sosa’s murder, Andrade and the shooter developed a plan to lure John Doe-1—the owner of the Audi used in the murder—to a location in Queens and kill him.  When John Doe-1 arrived at the location, acting at Andrade’s direction, the shooter had a brief conversation with John Doe-1 in the Audi, and upon exiting the Audi, turned and fired into the vehicle, striking John Doe-1 in the head.  John Doe-1 sustained serious injuries but ultimately survived his wounds. 

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. 

    This case is also 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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.

    The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States  Attorneys James R. Simmons and Michael R. Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendants:

    NICHOLAS ANDRADE
    Age:  37
    White Plains, New York

    JULIAN HUTCHINS
    Age:  43
    White Plains, New York

    PRINCE JONES
    Age:  36
    Mineola, New York

    JOSE LOPEZ
    Age:  43
    Elmont, New York

    RYAN OMALLEY
    Age:  34
    Port Jefferson Station, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-147 (GRB)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cuban National Indicted On Charges Related To Credit Card “Skimming” And Submitting A False Naturalization Application

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Yunier Perez-Bertemati (40) with 22 counts of access device fraud, possessing and trafficking in unauthorized device-making equipment, aggravated identity theft, making a false statement on an immigration application, and making a false statement to a federal agent. If convicted, Perez-Bertemati faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each of the access device fraud counts, 15 years on the device-making equipment counts, 10 years on the count related to making a false statement in his immigration application, and 5 years on the count related to making a false statement to a federal agent, as well as a mandatory sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts. The indictment also notifies Perez-Bertemati that the United States intends to forfeit $9,650, which are alleged to be proceeds of the offense.

    According to the indictment, Perez-Bertemati engaged in a series of transactions between November 2023 and January 2025 where he sold counterfeit credit and debit cards containing stolen victim account information. He also sold “skimming” equipment—namely, devices used to appropriate victim credit or debit card information when used at a point-of-sale terminal such as a gas pump or ATM. Further, Perez-Bertemati, a Cuban citizen, recently applied to be a United States citizen but made material misrepresentations on his naturalization application and during an interview with an officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

    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 U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Sowell.

    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: California man sentenced to 10 years for sexual exploitation of a minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for enticing a 12-year-old minor from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity.

    Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2025, to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between her and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he sent her sexually explicit images of himself and graphic sexual messages via text and email, including directing her to engage in sexual activity. In November 2024, FBI agents searched Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other minors who were under the age of 16.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1: 24-CR-227.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    A California man was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia today to 10 years in prison and 30 years supervised release for enticing a 12-year-old child from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution.

    Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16 to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the child victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between their daughter and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he had sent her sexually explicit images of himself and extremely graphic sexual messages via text and email, including messages directing her to engage in sexual activity and directing her to record herself engaging in sexual activity and send those recordings to him. Dalton and the victim also discussed meeting in person in order to have sex. In November 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other children who were under the age of 16.

    Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –