MIL-OSI – Page 102 – MIL Security Engine-1

March 11, 2026

Defense News: Oklahoma National Guard supports fire suppression mission, remains ready

Source: United States Army

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma National Guard firefighters and aviation crews recently completed wildfire suppression operations across the state after dry, windy conditions sparked multiple fires in February.

Authorized by Gov. Kevin Stitt at the request of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, the response included 16 wildland firefighters working near Talihina, Tahlequah and Stilwell. Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters equipped with 660-gallon water buckets and their crews also remained on standby throughout the mission.

“Having the capacity to deploy firefighters trained through our wildland firefighting program gives our state added flexibility when managing these emergencies,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Walter, assistant adjutant general–Army for the Oklahoma National Guard. “We’re proud of the opportunity to work alongside our partners at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol as part of a coordinated effort to serve the people of Oklahoma.”

The Guardsmen were broken up into different firefighting modules designed to serve unique mission sets.

The first module, supplemented by Type 6 fire engines and personnel from the Oklahoma Forestry Services, supported containment efforts by cutting handlines and clearing ladder fuels, such as low tree limbs, which can carry flames into the canopy.

Handlines are narrow strips of land cleared down to bare soil to remove vegetation and help stop the spread of fire.

Module two supported Oklahoma Forestry dozer operations, cut approximately 1.5 miles of handline and hiked three to 5 miles each day through rough terrain, scanning for smoke and preventing new flare-ups.

“[Our crew] responded to the Box Springs fire, which was approximately 1,000 acres, and the Highway 63 fire,” said Brian Weatherford, the Oklahoma Military Department’s wildland firefighting program manager and crew boss for module two. “Oklahoma Forestry received us with open arms and took multiple opportunities to plug us into the response effectively.”

According to Weatherford, since its inception, the program has trained more than 100 red-card certified firefighters, about 80 of whom were available for activation during this most recent mission.

Guardsmen in the program come from across the force, including infantry, engineering and logistics units. Some of the Guardsmen who served on this mission are also full-time civilian firefighters in their own communities.

The wildfire missions came just weeks after the Oklahoma National Guard was activated to assist stranded motorists during severe winter storms.

With Oklahoma’s spring severe weather season just around the corner, the quick transition from snow response to fire suppression underscores the Guard’s commitment to protecting lives and mitigating property damage regardless of conditions.

“Severe weather in Oklahoma is no longer seasonal, every season carries its own risk,” Walter said. “Having programs already in place, like the Wildland Firefighting Program, like our [stranded motorists assistance and recovery teams] teams, ensures that the Oklahoma National Guard is ready to respond to whatever nature throws our way.”

With fire season only beginning, the OKARNG remains “Always Ready, Always There” to support when called upon.

Defense News: DC Guard Activates Unique Brigade to Strengthen Security in Nation’s Capital

Source: United States Army

WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG) activated the 260th Special Purpose Brigade on March 7 at the D.C. Armory, establishing the only brigade in the U.S. Army specifically designed to coordinate military support to civil authorities and protect critical infrastructure in the nation’s capital.

The brigade was created in response to Executive Order 14339 and a subsequent directive from the secretary of war, which called for the immediate establishment, training and equipping of a dedicated National Guard unit capable of supporting public safety operations and strengthening coordination between military forces and civilian security partners in the District.

Brig. Gen. Craig Maceri, land component commander for DCNG, presided over the activation ceremony as Soldiers stood in formation and the brigade’s colors were uncased — a military tradition signaling that a unit has been formally activated and is ready for duty.

“The activation of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade represents the deliberate execution of national guidance,” Maceri said. “This unit provides the critical command and control structure that enables us to execute a broad spectrum of scalable operations while effectively integrating with our federal and district partners.”

The brigade will serve as a command-and-control headquarters responsible for coordinating military support to civil authorities, enabling National Guard forces to rapidly integrate with federal and local agencies responsible for safeguarding the capital.

Washington presents a unique operational environment. Within the District sit the constitutional institutions of the federal government, foreign embassies, national monuments and millions of annual visitors. Protecting that environment requires close coordination between military forces and civilian agencies during major national events, security operations and emergencies.

Among the brigade’s key partners is the U.S. Marshals Service, which regularly works alongside the DCNG during security operations in the capital.

“Partnerships like this are essential in Washington,” said U.S. Marshal Jurgen Soekhoe. “The 260th Special Purpose Brigade brings a level of coordination and readiness that allows federal law enforcement and the National Guard to operate as a unified team when security demands it.”

Col. Lawrence Doane, commander of the 260th Special Purpose Brigade, said the brigade structure ensures continuous coordination with partner agencies while maintaining the ability to expand rapidly when missions require additional forces.

“This brigade gives us an operational foundation for unity of effort,” Doane said. “It ensures continuity of planning and coordination so that when the situation changes, we can respond quickly and with clarity.”

The brigade also reflects the unique federal role of the DCNG, which reports directly to the president rather than to a state or territorial governor. That structure places the organization at the center of national-level security planning for the capital.

The unit’s new patch connects the brigade’s modern mission with its historical lineage. The design features three red stars and two red bars drawn from the District of Columbia flag, itself derived from the coat of arms of George Washington’s family.

The brigade carries forward the heritage of the 260th Military Police Command, a DCNG headquarters brigade that for decades coordinated military police operations supporting civil authorities and emergency response across the District until its inactivation in 2011. Its lineage reflects a longstanding mission of integrating National Guard forces with federal and local partners to protect critical institutions and maintain security in the nation’s capital.

At the center of the patch is an upright, unsheathed sword representing the brigade’s role in providing security and safeguarding the people who live, work and visit the nation’s capital.

“This new patch reflects something bigger,” Doane said. “It represents our commitment to protecting every person who sets foot in the Nation’s Capital.”

With the uncasing of its colors, the 260th Special Purpose Brigade begins its mission as a dedicated force supporting public safety, infrastructure protection and civilian–military coordination in Washington.

California Man Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Fraud Scheme Targeting More Than a Dozen Victims

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Richard Patterson, Jr., 44, of Norco, California, was sentenced yesterday to 68 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to commit wire fraud and failing to appear for a court hearing.

March 10, 2026

San Diego Man Indicted for $6 Million Counterfeit U.S. Postage Stamp Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN DIEGO –Wayne Fister, aka Wayne Wong, was indicted by a federal grand jury for selling millions of counterfeit U.S. postage stamps, earning more than $6 million as part of the scheme. The indictment, unsealed yesterday, charged Fister with Mail Fraud, Selling Counterfeit Stamps, and Money Laundering. According to court documents and statements made in court, since July 2024, Fister used his account in an online marketplace to sell the counterfeit U.S. postage stamps.

March 10, 2026

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah Collects $13,502,232.06 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak announced today that the District of Utah collected $13,502,232.06 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $8,716,979.03 was collected in criminal actions and $4,758,253.03 was collected in civil actions.

March 10, 2026

Swiss Businessman Extradited to the United States Pleads Guilty to International Securities Fraud Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice

A Swiss executive pleaded guilty today to participating in a multimillion-dollar securities fraud scheme after living abroad as a fugitive for nearly 11 years.

According to court documents, Martin Schlaepfer, 67, a Swiss national, identified himself to victims as the Chief Executive Officer of Malom Group AG, a purported Swiss investment company. Beginning as early as October 2009, Schlaepfer and his co-conspirators located in Switzerland and Las Vegas, Nevada, orchestrated a scheme in which they promoted investments that they knew to be fictitious. Schlaepfer and his co-conspirators told victims that, for an up-front payment, Malom would provide access to lucrative investment opportunities and substantial cash loans. To effectuate this scheme, the co-conspirators provided victims with fabricated bank documents purporting to show that Malom held hundreds of millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts. When victims wired their money into an escrow account controlled by the co-conspirators, the money was released and disbursed to, among others, Schlaepfer for his own personal use. As a result of the scheme, victims were defrauded of approximately $6 million.

Schlaepfer was indicted in December 2013. He was arrested in Italy in September 2024, pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice, and extradited to the United States in July 2025. Three of Schlaepfer’s co-conspirators, Anthony Brandel, James Warras and Sean Finn, were found guilty of conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud and securities fraud following separate jury trials in 2015 and 2020 and each sentenced to 87 months in prison. A fourth defendant, Joseph Micelli, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud in 2015 and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. A fifth defendant, Hans-Jurg Lips, remains at large outside the United States. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Schlaepfer pleaded guilty to securities fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.

The FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case.

Senior Counsel Anna G. Kaminska and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Italian authorities to secure the extradition of Schlaepfer from Italy.

March 10, 2026

Licensed Mortgage Loan Officer Charged with Bank Fraud

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Orlando, FL –A grand jury has returned a federal indictment charging Jason Morales (44, Chagrin Falls, Ohio) with six counts of bank fraud. If convicted, Morales faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

March 10, 2026

Tennessee Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to $80M Pandemic-Relief Fraud Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The owner of a tax preparation business in Tennessee pleaded guilty today to orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that steered approximately $80 million in pandemic relief funds designed to help small businesses and workers to herself and her clients.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Renata Walton, 45, of Mississippi, owned and operated a tax preparation business in Moscow, Tennessee. From approximately March 2022 through August 2023, Walton conspired with one of her employees to file false tax returns for clients seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit. Congress created both the ERC and the paid sick and family leave credit to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The employee, Nicole Jones, also known as Nicole Dickerson, of Cordova, Tennessee, previously pleaded guilty on Aug. 15, 2025, for her role in the offense.

Among other schemes, Walton and Jones reported fictitious wages on clients’ tax returns to fraudulently claim the ERC and paid sick and family leave credits, knowing their clients had not paid wages to their employees in those amounts and were not entitled to the credits. Walton also filed false applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, government funding intended to provide financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. To support these false claims, Walton submitted false tax forms to the SBA. As a result of the scheme, clients received tax refunds, often exceeding $100,000, and then Walton and Jones received a fee from the clients, which was typically around $15,000 per return.

When the IRS began contacting clients to recover the fraudulently issued pandemic program funds, Walton obstructed the IRS’s efforts. She gave the clients letters to provide to the IRS falsely asserting, among other things, that the fictitious wages Walton and Jones reported on their tax returns to claim the ERC were legitimate. Walton and Jones also did not file tax returns for tax year 2022, so they did not pay taxes on the income they earned through their criminal schemes.

In total, Walton filed tax returns and other documents claiming nearly $80 million in pandemic funds and tax refunds that she and her clients were not entitled to receive, causing a loss of more than $52 million to the United States. Jones was also responsible for a portion of these fraudulent claims.

Both Walton and Jones face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for willful failure to file a return. Walton also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Walton is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Caroline Pearson of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bateman and Tony Arvin for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

March 10, 2026

Second Man Charged with Murder Relating to Methamphetamine Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A second man, Taliau Tauvela-Afalava, 31 of Aiea, Hawaii, was charged and made his initial appearance in court yesterday for his role in a murder stemming from the victim’s alleged failure to pay for methamphetamine. This superseding indictment adds Tauvela-Afalava as a co-defendant with Filimone Tavake, 38, of San Francisco, whom the grand jury indicted on March 21, 2024 and law enforcement arrested on March 22, 2024.

According to court documents, on March 27, 2021, Tauvela-Afalava and Tavake allegedly killed the victim in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy. The victim was shot multiple times as he was standing outside his home. Video surveillance footage obtained during the investigation showed a vehicle with no license plates driving near the victim’s home shortly before the shooting. Subsequently, the vehicle parked and video captured two males walking toward the street where the victim’s residence was located. A few minutes later, gun shots were heard on the surveillance video, and the same two males were seen running from the direction of the victim’s residence toward the vehicle. Law enforcement identified and located the vehicle seen in the video. A law enforcement analysis connected the vehicle’s infotainment system to phone numberes linked to Tavake and Tauvela-Afalava.

Tauvela-Afalava is charged with carry, use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; causing the death of a person through use of a firearm; killing while engaged in conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

If convicted, Tauvela-Afalava faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division;U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson for the District of Hawaii; Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office; and InterimChief Rade K. Vanic of the Honolulu Police Department made the announcement.

The FBI and Honolulu Police Department are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Christina Taylor (detailee) of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.

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

March 10, 2026

New Orleans Man Sentenced for Conspiracy and Interstate Transport of Stolen Vehicles

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On February 24, 2026, CHRISTOPHER MYERS (“MYERS”), age 33, a resident of Slidell, was sentenced on February 26, 2026 by United Stated District Judge Susie Morgan, after previously pleading guilty, to six months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. A $100 mandatory special assessment fee was also imposed.