Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Posted on

Defense News: 21st Special Troops Battalion welcomes new command sergeant major

Source: United States Army

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Raska assumed responsibility as the senior enlisted advisor of the 21st Special Troops Battalion, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, during a transfer of responsibility ceremony held at Panzer Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 8.

A native of Whitehouse, Texas, Raska brings more than 23 years of Army experience to the battalion. After attending Basic Combat Training in 2003 and Advanced Individual Training in 2004, he earned the designation of Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician. Throughout his career, he has served in a variety of leadership and operational positions within the EOD community.

His assignment to the 21st Special Troops Battalion marks the first time he has served outside the EOD career field.

“This is the first non-EOD job that I’ve done in my career, so the challenge of the dynamics of the organization and what we do is all very new to me, and I’m looking forward to it,” Raska said.

Raska attributes much of his success to the adaptability developed through years of conducting complex EOD missions. He believes flexibility, accountability and teamwork are key components of successful organizations and effective leadership.

One of the milestones he is most proud of is graduating from EOD school, which he described as one of the most challenging experiences of his career. His interest in the field began after attending a presentation by an EOD team from Fort Sam Houston, where he first learned about the profession and its mission. Years later, he returned to serve as the first sergeant of that same company after its relocation to Fort Hood, Texas.

As he begins his new role, Raska plans to draw upon the lessons learned throughout his career to support the battalion and its Soldiers.

“If you do your job well, we will go far beyond anyone’s expectations,” Raska said. “That’s all I ask of anybody, do your job and do it well.”

Although the battalion’s mission differs from his previous assignments, Raska believes the principles of leadership remain constant. Through a focus on accountability, teamwork and professional excellence, he hopes to help the 21st Special Troops Battalion continue building readiness and accomplishing its mission across the European theater.

Posted on

Security News: Prior felon pleads guilty to obscenity charge

Source: United States Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Raymond Mason, 54, of Frewsburg, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession of obscene visual depictions following a prior conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. 

Posted on

Security News: Walton Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography

Source: United States Department of Justice

Butler revealed that he was involved in a nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) network, whose members seek to corrupt and exploit vulnerable populations, including minors. Butler was the administrator of an online offshoot of the “764” NVE group that operated across multiple social media channels and whose members engaged in extortion of minors, coercive self-harm, harm to animals, and the production and dissemination of CSAM.

Posted on

Two Charged in District of Rhode Island as Part of National Fraud Takedown

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Providence: First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda announced charges against two defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. 

Posted on

Chemours Agrees to $450M Landmark Settlement Agreement for Releases of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Settlement Includes $22.5M Civil Penalty and $90M in Funding for Programs to Control PFAS Discharges and Remove PFAS from Drinking Water

Today, the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) announced a multi-state settlement with The Chemours Company under the Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Toxic Substance Control Act, and West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act. The settlement covers four Chemours facilities — located in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey — that use or produce PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are synthetic “forever chemicals” used to make products resistant to water, grease, and stains. Chemours also manufactures PFAS for various industrial and military applications, including those where substitutes are not readily available. This is the first comprehensive settlement by the federal government to resolve enforcement claims over pollution by a manufacturer of forever chemicals.  

Under the agreement, Chemours will pay a civil penalty of $22.5 million for alleged violations and conduct a multi-year, $90 million program to mitigate PFAS discharges. Chemours will also install PFAS pollution controls for surface water discharges and air emissions at its facility in West Virginia, at an estimated cost of $60 million, supply clean drinking water for more than a decade to communities that surround its facilities in West Virginia and New Jersey at an estimated cost of $280 million, and evaluate options and implement corresponding controls to reduce releases of PFAS and other toxic chemicals from its facility in North Carolina. Combined, the cost of the penalty and injunctive relief programs are estimated to exceed $450 million. The settlement allows Chemours to continue manufacturing PFAS for critical commercial and military applications while preventing future contamination and protecting communities from that contamination.

“This landmark settlement shows the Administration’s commitment to protecting the public from harmful pollution,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Through this commitment, Chemours will better control PFAS at its plants, allowing the company to continue its manufacturing operations while protecting communities in North Carolina, West Virginia, and New Jersey from PFAS exposure. This agreement ensures that the company will manufacture these critical materials in a responsible manner.”

“This first comprehensive federal settlement against a major PFAS manufacturer delivers on the Trump Administration’s promise to make polluters pay and stop PFAS contamination at the source,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “By appropriately employing the full suite of existing legal authorities, we can greatly reduce PFAS contamination of water, land, and air and even begin to mitigate past harm. This settlement brings Chemours into compliance with the law and holds it fully accountable.”

“As Attorney General, my office investigated Chemours and took crucial steps needed to reach this settlement and position the state to reach justice for West Virginians — we will continue to ensure that every company complies with our laws,” said West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey. “This settlement is an encouraging first step, but it addresses only one piece of a much larger issue. We remain actively engaged in discussions to reach a comprehensive resolution for the Washington Works facility that protects our citizens and ensures West Virginia’s communities have confidence that these issues are being addressed for the long term. We look forward to continuing those discussions and achieving an outcome that serves the best interests of the Mountain State.”

The complaint alleges that three of the facilities that Chemours operates in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey discharged PFAS into the Ohio River, Cape Fear River, and Delaware River, in violation of permits required by the Clean Water Act and the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act. Also, Chemours was allegedly not complying with legal requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act at all four facilities. These alleged violations continued for over a decade. The facilities were previously owned for many decades by DuPont, and today’s settlement does not resolve DuPont’s liability for forever chemicals.

As a result of the alleged violations, people living around these facilities were exposed to illegal PFAS. PFAS are widely used and found around the world, with scientific studies showing that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.

To remedy the alleged violations, the consent decree calls for 14 specified projects to reduce PFAS in wastewater, stormwater, and groundwater from the West Virginia plant, such as treatment systems using granulated activated carbon. And for people drinking water near the plants in West Virginia and New Jersey, Chemours will test the drinking water and provide treated or alternative clean water. Also, Chemours will be required to control releases of the chemical compound GenX — used to aid in making plastics called fluoropolymers — from each facility at an efficiency of at least 99%. Additionally, Chemours will implement controls at its North Carolina facility to mitigate releases of PFAS and other toxics based on recommendations from a third-party engineering firm. These programs will last for 15 years.

Chemours will also implement enhanced Leak Detection and Repair programs to reduce emissions of PFAS. Finally, Chemours must certify compliance with respect to its storage of hazardous waste.

Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section lodged the consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The consent decree is subject to a public comment period and is available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

The EPA investigated the case with assistance from WV DEP. More information on the settlement is available on EPA’s Chemours Settlement Summary – June 2026 webpage.

Senior Counsel Steve O’Rourke and Katherine Abend and Trial Attorneys Sylvia Lam, and Jonah Seligman with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Bailey for the Southern District of West Virginia are handling this matter. Gracie Pendleton is the lead EPA attorney.

Posted on

Tennessee Man to Serve 60 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl at Hotel and Casino in Bristol

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

ABINGDON, Va. – A Tennessee man, who trafficked fentanyl-laced pills and fentanyl powder into Southwest Virginia, including to the parking lot of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Bristol, Virginia, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison. Jermaine Crayton Jr., 20, of Chattanooga, Tenn. pled guilty in February to one count of conspiracy possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Posted on

Four Individuals Sentenced to Prison for Insider Trading Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Two individuals were sentenced yesterday for their participation in a scheme to trade securities based on material nonpublic information about the $3.2 billion merger of two companies, which resulted in illicit profits of over $600,000. Two other individuals were previously sentenced in connection with this scheme on May 4. Specifically, Rouzbeh Ross Haghighat was sentenced to 40 months in prison, Kirstyn Pearl was sentenced to six months in prison, Seyedfarbod “Fabio” Sabzevari was sentenced to 14 months in prison, and James Roberge was sentenced to two months in prison. 

“Rouzbeh Ross Haghighat abused his position as a board member of a publicly traded company to exploit his insider knowledge of an upcoming acquisition.  He encouraged his friends and family to buy company shares so that they could reap hundreds of thousands of dollars off of that inside information to the detriment of investors,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Insider trading undermines fairness in the economy and American investors. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue illegal activity that affects U.S. markets.”

“This case makes one thing clear: if you think you can game the system using insider information, think again,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Ross Haghighat and his associates thought they were above the law and colored outside the lines for financial gain, but yesterday’s sentencing proves no one is above the law. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not hesitate to pursue and bring to justice anyone who tries to corrupt the integrity of our financial markets.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Haghighat, 62, of Massachusetts; Pearl, 36, of Puerto Rico; Sabzevari, 31, of California; and Roberge, 71, of Massachusetts, illegally bought the securities of a biopharmaceutical company in Seattle, Washington (Company-1), where Haghighat served on the board of directors. In May 2023, while in his position as a board director, Haghighat got important inside information about another pharmaceutical company’s (Company-2) proposed acquisition of Company-1, including sensitive deal terms. Haghighat then purchased securities and tipped off others about the deal — including Pearl, Sabzevari, and Roberge — so that they would purchase securities of Company-1, which they did. 

In May 2023, Company-2 made a confidential proposal to acquire Company-1 at a price per share above the then-current market value. The two companies then negotiated an agreement for the acquisition, which was announced in June 2023, causing the share price of Company-1 to spike. Collectively, the defendants profited more than $600,000 from their purchases of Company-1 securities based on their insider information. 

In December 2025, Haghighat was convicted of one count of securities fraud, 16 counts of insider trading, and two counts of conspiracy. Pearl was convicted of one count of securities fraud, one count of insider trading, and one count of conspiracy. 

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant Chief Laura Connelly.

Posted on

Defense News: NY Army Guard aviation brigade hones domestic response readiness during Vibrant Response 2026

Source: United States Army

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — Forty New York Army National Guard Soldiers from the 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade coordinated aviation support during Vibrant Response 2026, a large-scale homeland response exercise held April 22–29 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.

The exercise prepares military forces to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents within the United States. This marked the first time New York Army National Guard Soldiers participated in Vibrant Response, which was first established in 2009.

Vibrant Response is a command post exercise, meaning no aircraft physically flew during the training. Instead, units operated in a simulated environment designed to test coordination, communication and decision-making during a large-scale domestic emergency.

The annual exercise brought together active-duty, Reserve and National Guard units alongside the Federal Emergency Management Agency, local law enforcement and emergency responders to strengthen coordination during national emergencies.

The New York Soldiers supported both Task Force 76 and Task Force 46 during the exercise as part of the LOWCOM structure, which coordinates specialized response capabilities during domestic emergencies.

“The overall objective is to validate the task force’s ability to respond to a CBRNE event within the United States and integrate with other military units to provide defense support of civil authorities,” said Maj. Richard Siracusano, the Task Force 76 aviation officer.

As the aviation element supporting the LOWCOM mission structure, the 42nd ECAB simulated rotary-wing aviation operations during a nuclear response scenario. Soldiers coordinated simulated casualty evacuation missions, personnel movement, supply transport and aviation support operations in areas where infrastructure was considered damaged or unusable.

“Our aviation unit plays an important role in any defense support of civil authorities operation,” Siracusano said. “We are able to move personnel and supplies quickly across areas where roadways or bridges may be impassable.”

Throughout the exercise, Soldiers operated in a fast-paced environment where missions and updates were continuously pushed from higher headquarters, requiring rapid decision-making and communication across multiple sections.

“The objective is to certify a task force’s ability to respond to a national emergency,” said Maj. Matthew Ian Robbins, Task Force 46 aviation officer in charge assigned to the 42nd .

For many junior Soldiers, the exercise was their first experience working inside a tactical operations center and supporting a mission at this scale.

“I came in not really knowing what to expect,” said Spc. Kira Belladora. “At first it was challenging, but now I feel a lot more confident understanding my role and how everything connects.”

Leaders intentionally introduced uncertainty early in the exercise to replicate real-world conditions where incomplete information and rapidly changing situations are common.

“There was a lot of learning at the beginning,” Robbins said. “We asked junior Soldiers to step into roles they normally wouldn’t fill, and now they’re operating with confidence.”

Soldiers gained experience in mission planning, staff operations and communication while learning how their responsibilities support the larger mission.

“We have a lot of new Soldiers that have never seen how a tactical operations center operates,” said Sgt. 1st Class Stephanie Kyle. “Getting this exposure is great for them because now they are receiving hands-on experience.”

Leaders said the exercise reinforced the importance of coordination between military units and civilian agencies during domestic emergencies.

“It really shows how the military integrates with local, state and federal partners during a crisis,” Siracusano said. “That’s especially important for National Guard Soldiers.”

“From day one to now, the growth has been tremendous,” Robbins said. “I’m confident junior Soldiers can continue executing the mission.”